The Harmony of Aesthetics and Functionality in Architecture
58 ǀ POSITIV 4/2024
BUSINESS
The Services House in Palkovice won not only
the main award in the Public Facilities –
Reconstruction category, but also the prestigious
Grand Prix for the overall best project
of the competition. In your opinion, what makes
this project so exceptional, and where do you see
its greatest quality reflected?
For our studio, it was essential that we were not
designing on a blank slate but instead we were
transforming the original services house into a modern
building for the public and local residents. The openness
of the layout and glass walls allow for easy navigation
within the building. All offices and common areas on
the upper floor have access to the terrace, offering
views of the Beskydy panorama. We are pleased
that the house has become a living organism for
the community, including a café and doctors’ offices.
Your studio was involved in several other
projects submitted to the competition, such
as the new campus at Černá louka in Ostrava
and the revitalisation of Kopřivnice's center.
What challenges did these projects bring, and how
did you address them?
At the Černá Louka campus, we designed the Faculty
of Fine Arts for Ostrava University, our largest
realization in a public space to date. The challenge was
the use of contemporary materials, such as concrete
structures, glass facades, and wooden cladding in
the concert hall... in a so-called raw natural form,
which would be visible and usable for both the client—
artists—and visitors. We achieved something similar in
the center of Kopřivnice: clearly defining public spaces
for gathering, relaxation, and cultural or municipal
events. I am pleased that the city of Kopřivnice now
The Harmony of Aesthecs
and Funconality in Architecture
Assoc. Prof. Ing. arch. Kamil Mrva, Ph.D., is one of the prominent gures in Czech architecture. His
studio stands behind projects that signicantly inuence public spaces and win presgious awards,
such as the Grand Prix in the Stavba Moravskoslezského kraje (Building of the Moravian-Silesian
Region) compeon for the reconstrucon of the Services House in Palkovice. In this interview,
he discusses the uniqueness of his projects, the challenges they bring, and how architecture can
combine aesthecs, funconality, and the needs of residents.
Text: redakce
Foto: Foto Toast
Fakulta umění Ostravské
univerzity
STYL ROZHOVOR