Vlado Milunic
Office Building - Prague 4
Czech Republic

"The building will link to the existing buildings through its contextual structure and gradually heal the extensive and deep wound on the urbanism of this very valuable part of Prague".
Vlado Milunic

Photo Montage courtesy Vlado Milunic

The building, now under construction, is situated on a valuable site on the edge of the Pankrac Plateau in Prague 4, close to the crossroads of the streets Pod Terebkou and Zateckych.
The site is accessible from the Vysehrad Metro Station, two stops from Wenceslas Square, the historical center of Prague, and accessible directly from the motorway into Prague.
When Milunic started the design there was already an existing design as well as a building permit but the client wanted a more significant building that would, as he put it, "make people happy".
The building is designed for the use by Stredoceska Plynarenska a.s. (Central Bohemian gas Company) and developed in close co-operation with its Director Ing. Tesitel.

Model photo courtesy Vlado Milunic

The corner lot at the corner of Pod Terebkou and Zateckych is at the edge of a traditional old housing block with sloped roofs and adjacent to an area containing various buildings of little interest; like the Czech Police Presidium, the Hotel Forum and the Palace of Culture. The area has been considerably damaged and unsuitably constructed during the 1970's with all of the buildings in close proximity to the motorway and a congested traffic system of overpasses and underpasses.
The Office Building is conceptualised as a thematic transition between the classic block construction and the newer solitary buildings.
The proposed building is substantially higher than its neighbors which will optically reduce the oversized Hotel Forum.  The height of the building is also relating to the length of the Police building which will create an imaginary end to the movement of the long object.

Section Drawing courtesy Vlado Milunic

The building has three basement levels with parking for 80 cars, accessible by a ramp which also offers access to the adjacent Police building.
On the ground floor of the 12-story above ground portion of the building there is an Entrance Hall for public relations and company presentations.  The lower part of the building has a rectangular ground plan in five segments; common in this type of  administrative building.    The upper portion of the widening Twin Towers looks like a flower opening itself to the sun as if to draw in energy for the lower part of the building.
From the roof there is a panoramic view of the city with Prague Castle. A roof garden, with trees and grass, is planned.

Plan Drawing courtesy Vlado Milunic

Begin Design: 1998
Building Permit: 1999
Construction Start: 2001

Total Floor Area: 10,453.12 square meters

Vlado Milunic Architect
Studio VM
Celetna 12
110 00 Prague 1

Telephone: +420 2 24229878
Fax: +420 2 24229878
www.arch.cz/milunic (not in English)

Photo 5
Text:
The Architect with Frank Gehry on top floor of the "Fred & Ginger" Building in Prague.

Vlado Milunic was born in Zagreb, Croatia in 1941.  He studied at the Faculty of Architecture of the Czech Technical University in Prague (1960 - 1966) and in Paris, France (1966 - 1969).  From 1969 to 1990 he co-operated with architect Jan Linek.

Milunic was Frank Gehry's Czech Partner on the Nationale Netherlanden "Fred & Ginger" Building in Prague.

Among his many projects are 50 Housing Units for The Film Studio Barrandov in Prague, a Hostel for Nurses at Prosek, a Children's Summer Camp in Radetice near Bechyne, 350 apartments, offices and shops in Areal Hvezda, Prague.