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Currently
Currently
the factory site is owned by us, in perfect condition and ready for conversion
the project has been granted a building permit
architecture and design is by the internationally award-winning BALBEK bureau
the project manager of the building is SAVILLS CZ
the resort will be operated by OREA Hotels & Resorts - the largest operator in the Czech Republic
all legal matters will be handled by the renowned law firm GLATZOVA & Co.
the feasibility study was prepared by KPMG
we have completed geophysical surveys of the subsoil, construction surveys, dismantling of machinery and many other necessities
the redevelopment of the entire site will take 15 months and will start in autumn 2024
we are working hard on the preparation of the construction, on the documentation for the change of the construction before completion, on the communication strategy for the sale of apartments, on the contract with the hotel operator etc.
at the same time, a private pre-sale of the apartments is underway
Realization team
Realization team
FACTORYARD1842 - investor and factory owner
Dušan Barnáš, M.B.A., Company founder, author of the project, CEO
Dipl. Ing. Markéta Hrabánková - Partner
BALBEK bureau - architecture and design, MgA. Nataliya Stukonog - Chief Project Architect
SAVILLS CZ - project management of construction, Ing. Jan Jurčíček - Head of Building & Project Consultancy
OREA Hotels & Resorts - hotel operations management, Ing. Marek Nejedlo - Director of Business Devepment
GLATZOVA & Co. - legal representation, JUDr. Martin Dančišin - Partner
KPMG ČR - Expert Consultant and Feasibility Study
Innovative approach
Innovative approach
We are not giving the historic industrial area a new cover, we are not reconstructing or demolishing anything. We are adapting all new functions to the existing layout of the original buildings, and only equipping them with high-tech equipment, new networks, etc.
We will use the technology of self-supporting construction made of special 2.5m long straw bales and clay plaster to ensure an ideal indoor microclimate for the new hotel accommodation. The same technology has been used to build multiple award-winning houses such as Straw bale Haus (Austria), Strohhaus (Germany) and many others. This natural building material was also used for the construction of the Maya Boutique Hotel & Spa in the Swiss Alps and it works great! This and many other buildings made of straw were realized (and inspired us greatly) by the Swiss architectural studio for sustainable development and ecological construction - Atelier Schmidt. The solidity of the walls of the new building, lightened by the contemporary precision of the plastering made of local red clay, will correspond well with the heavy mass of our old factory.
REDEFINING THE ROLE
The main filter of the architectural solution for the conversion of this historically valuable industrial building is a straightforward respect for the character of the site, necessary for the symbiotic coexistence of a small and somewhat "weathered" city with the decadent luxury of a high-end design resort. This new quality will grow directly into its surroundings and elevate it to its own level. The authentic and natural patina of the neighborhood will then be perceived as characteristic of the area - small charming squares where few houses glow with newness, but the sidewalks are swept, clean and the greenery always manicured - a visually very pleasing and impressive combination. By respecting the character of the town, we are essentially turning its shortcomings into positives. We are drawing it into the storyline while expanding the resort's influence. We allow its specific luxury to "overflow" beyond the boundaries of the resort itself. It will develop in layers into a "colourful" micro-city that puts people in the foreground, giving them much more space than the buildings alone can provide - and that already sounds a bit like "architecture without mass", which we enjoy.
ADAPTATION RATHER THAN RECONSTRUCTION
We do not historicize (we do not strive for the original form), we do not stylize (into a new architecture), nor do we renovate. All of this would mean reconstruction using conventional construction techniques that would undermine the authentic charisma of the site. The restored buildings would look out of place and intrusive. We will therefore not reconstruct them, but leave them with their long-standing patina, their authentic appearance. And we'll just put the latest technology into the original buildings.
We want to preserve the genius loci and authenticity in a broader sense. It's important what the factory is like now, today. We are not trying to dogmatically "cleanse it of the dregs of the past" and then unify it into the "only correct" form, as contemporary trends may dictate. Why erase any part of the life of the factory? The traces of time are real, authentic, there is no reason to censor them. Respect for the entire history of the factory is also related to the need not to undermine its extremely strong and positive charisma.
We are not changing the layout of the existing buildings, on the contrary, we are adapting all the new functions to them. This reversal means much less structural intervention, no demolition, no new concrete. It works great, and what's more, in the long run we leave only a minimum own tracks
Factory from the year 1842
Factory from the year 1842
In 1842 František Gaberle founded the so-called "American" mill for grinding grain, powered by a steam engine. In 1845, the mill was closed down and steam-powered spinning machines from Leeds, England, were installed in its buildings, thus creating a flax spinning mill - the first of its kind in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Production was closed in 1989 after more than 150 years of operation.
The distinct conceptual difference of this factory from all other textile factories is due to its location and layout due to its mill origin. It stands by the forest, on a hill with beautiful views, not in a valley by the river or a main road in the middle of the city. Everything inside the site follows a certain geometric symmetry, with water tanks and park landscaping, evoking a kind of micro-city, with natural "squares", walkways and zones, all creating a pleasantly calming "Sunday" atmosphere. One feels good here, the factory is literally destined for a new role - to provide people with a calm, sophisticated, and inspiring environment, full of positive sensory and emotional perceptions.
As part of the "National Strategy for the Regeneration of Brownfields in the Czech Republic", the factory was classified as one of the most important industrial brownfields in the Hradec Králové Region.
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