Mateo Arquitectura

Connecting Hall, Main Entrance of the National Gallery and access between the palaces Salm and Schwarzenberg
International Competition, First Award, 2004

Interventions in the entrance hall of Prague National Gallery and Salm and Schwarzenberg palaces, situated in Hradcanske Square.

Situation

The project sets out to create an open space, exploiting the situation of these three buildings so that their walls act as the façades of the foyer, using the minimum structures required. The façades are therefore built with no opaque facings, simply using the construction of two sheets (one formed by the floor, the other by the roof) that organize what used to be an empty space without weighing it down, as well as
drawing in daylight.

General concept. Secret garden. Space between roof and floor

The roof is a continuous sheet that stops short of the buildings around it, producing large skylights that generate an interesting interplay of reflections with different degrees of shine.

Longitudenal Section

The floor folds to adapt to the different levels of the existing entrances. The paving combines different types of stone such as black marble, travertine and local red stone, creating a study of geometries and finishes that suggest the work of artisans.

The penultimate phase of the building has just been completed, and all that remains is the installation of the false ceiling, to be made of expanded metal, the lighting system, and fittings and furnishing.

Author: Josep Lluís Mateo
Client: National Gallery of Czech Republic
Site: Salm Palace, Hradcanske Square, Prague
Project: 2004 – works 2009 – 2012
Surface: 1.500 m2
Budget: 3.500.000 euros