Cultural House "Sokolovna"

Assignment
The municipality of Kobeřice near Brno has decided to renovate the local cultural center. The original building served as a restaurant with a hall, which ceased to operate over time. The new assignment was to design a new cultural center and a hall for 200 visitors.

Design
From the beginning, the project approached sensitively, with an emphasis on preserving valuable elements. The focus is on the variability and certain flexibility of the proposed spaces.
The core of the design consists of a hall for 200 people, which is planned in the location of the existing structure but expanded both on the ground floor and especially in the attic, which is newly connected. The existing cellar spaces, originally considered as technical spaces, are also assigned to the hall, leading to the creation of several smaller rooms that can help prevent overcrowding during large events.
To allow the cultural center's spaces to be utilized year-round, a mobile partition wall is proposed on the ground floor of the hall to divide it into two parts. The so-called entrance area will be used year-round (e.g., for a parent center, exercise classes, etc.). This part of the hall also includes facilities for possible refreshments and restrooms in an adjacent courtyard building.

Architectural Solution
The existing building is being reconstructed, maintaining its original expression. This represents a homage to tradition, which holds symbolic significance in this case.
Only a vestibule is constructed on the exterior at the original entrance. This is done for practical reasons—to increase the hall space—but also for aesthetic reasons—the entrance is not "sunken" below the roadway.
The interior space of the hall respects its longitudinal axis, dominated by the stage. The open space above the dance floor will thus be symmetrical. A main staircase is designed along the main space leading both to the attic above and to the bar in the cellar.
The existing courtyard could not be preserved in the same size. A relatively generous design for social facilities has been prioritized, based on experiences from similar operations.
The attic is practically entirely utilized for the hall, with only the part above the technical space on the first floor designed as a technical space, which also features an emergency exit required for fire safety reasons.

Technical Solution
The building was in poor construction and technical condition. The main problem was the moisture in the masonry, caused by a non-functional waterproofing system. Therefore, it was necessary to carry out complete new horizontal waterproofing, newly install flooring in the basement (ventilation using igloos and remedial measures), and perform remediation of vertical walls (including desalination).
The wooden elements of the roof structure were preserved and treated with fire-retardant paint. The load-bearing beams were partially replaced with steel profiles in the floor, to which a full truss is anchored. The windows were infested with wood rot and could not be restored. Therefore, new aluminum windows with a different configuration were installed. The building sensitively combines original preserved elements with modern additions.