EM2N

Keystone Office Building, Prague

EM2N . photos: © Simon Menges . + baunetz

This office building stands at a kind of gateway situation at a prominent situation in Karlín, a district of Prague that is undergoing rapid change, at the corner of Pobřežni Street and Šaldova Street.

The ground floor, taller than the other levels, contains shops and showrooms while the upper floors are occupied by office space. The external appearance of the building takes up geometrical themes found in Czech Cubism at the start of the 20th century. The volumetric concept of the façade creates an ambivalently legible network of forms oriented in different directions. The double-layered façade not only produces a sculptural outer skin, but also improves the performance of the windows in terms of thermal and acoustic insulation. Through the contrast to the exterior the impressive entrance hall establishes a certain formal tension. Here high-quality materials and expensive surfaces are used. The hall is clad half with chrome steel and half with terrazzo and stucco lustro.