House in Horní Kosov

This house, built according to plans by the architect Luděk Rýzner from Humpolec, stands on the sloping terrain of a corner plot situated at the intersection of Kamenná and Dlouhá Streets. It is a low and simple building with a basic, L-shaped floor plan. The corner facing Dlouhá Street was cut by the architect and given the function of a central entrance space through which the inner parts of the house can be accessed. The living area is concentrated on three floors – the basement, first floor, and the circular superstructure at the second floor level. Neither the basement nor the roof extension copy the basic floor plan in its entirety. The main communication line between the individual levels of the house and the garden at the ground level is the atrium, which is hidden behind one of the polycarbonate panels of the building's outer shell when viewed from the street. The panels, on the other hand, are one of the main means of achieving the characteristic, almost jarring colours of the façade. The architect opted for a combination of bright orange and subtly transparent plastic panels with dark black cladding made of hardened laminate panels. Only the roof extension stands out from this line of distinctive colour scheme – unlike the rest of the building, it is clad in polycarbonate in soft silver.

Looking at the outer shell of the house, we can observe the tension that Luděk Rýzner sophisticatedly builds between the house's ability to attract attention and its mission to create conditions for private and undisturbed family life. From the street, life inside the house is hidden behind a striking but impermeable façade, whereas towards the south, the building loses its solidity and allows the interior to connect with the exterior. The black and orange walls are complemented by large glass surfaces that open directly onto a partially shaded terrace and a large garden with a swimming pool. From this side, the building and the adjacent land are perfectly protected by the planted trees and shrubs as well as by the character of the terrain.

Luděk Rýzner arranged the living and utility spaces in the individual parts of the house so that they enable the most logical operation – not only in isolation within the interior, but also in relation to the exterior. In the basement, accessible from the street, he placed a garage, laundry room and primarily a relaxation and social zone with a sauna and a spacious hall, which can be partitioned off and offers the possibility to sit and relax with family and friends. The first floor houses a living room connected to the kitchen, three bedrooms with a shared bathroom, toilet, and walk-in wardrobe, and an en-suite bedroom with a walk-in wardrobe. This private walk-in wardrobe is the only place in the house where the light falls directly through the orange polycarbonate panels. In addition to that, the architect fitted a study into the cylindrical superstructure at the second floor level, from where one can step out onto the green roof terrace and enjoy the view of the surrounding area as if from a captain's bridge. While the exterior of the house is bold in colour, the interior spaces are rendered in soft and muted shades of brown, beige, and white. The interiors of the individual rooms are grounded by dark solid wood floors, the walls in some places are complemented by wallpaper featuring various abstract designs, or subtle vertical stripes. The interior furnishings are also noteworthy, including organically shaped armchairs designed by Charles and Ray Eames and a lamp by the legendary Italian designer Achille Castiglioni.

AB