Multifunctional Center, Olomouc

New building, study

 

architect: David Chromík – CAMA
Jindřich Brož, Žaneta Fantová

project: 2021
investor: NEW KAROLINA RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT II s.r.o.

floor space area: 57 572 m2
architectural volume: 202 738 m3
number floors/basements: 7/2

 

 



The multifunctional center is located just south of Olomouc’s main railway station, in an area characterized by a fragmented urban fabric made up of incomplete city blocks, industrial halls, and manufacturing sites. The site is separated from the surrounding urban structure by multi-lane roads, tram lines, and railway corridors. Shaped like a teardrop, the plot is accessible only from its relatively narrow northern edge.

The development is planned in phases. The first stage involves the construction of an office building on the eastern edge of the parcel, already approved in an earlier permitting process. The second stage is more extensive and includes the construction of a shopping center, additional office buildings, a medical facility, and residential buildings.

Given the context, the aim was to create an independent “world” capable of functioning within the surrounding barrier of transport infrastructure. To achieve a pleasant internal environment, the outer edge of the site is lined with barrier-type buildings, while the residential buildings are oriented inward. The shopping center is located on the first underground level (B1) and forms an almost continuous base across the site. Due to the surrounding embankments and transport structures, it remains mostly hidden and is visible only on the northern side, at the main entrance to the complex.

 

The roof of the shopping center serves as a platform from which rise the volumes of the residential buildings, offices, and medical facilities. The buildings are organically connected and form a comb-like layout with interstitial plazas and gardens. Dynamic horizontal lines of the floor slabs and the integration of greenery help create a landscape-like atmosphere. From the outside, the barrier buildings are rhythmically articulated with shallow recesses to soften the frontage.

Almost all necessary parking spaces are located in a shared underground garage on the second basement level (B2).