SCHINDLER SEKO ARCHITEKTI s.r.o.

The Sacre Coeur development, consisting of several buildings, is situated in the central district of Prague on a southern slope between the Kinsky Gardens and the Sacre Coeur Park.
We designed an urban ensemble including two residential blocks with approx. 200 apartments, two smaller apartment buildings which are filling two gap sites and a complex for seniors, which, through its smaller scale, provides a smooth transition to the Sacre Coeur Park.

In this second phase we are creating a housing project of 85 apartments which are literally nesting inside a bridge and may resemble the Florentine Ponte Vecchio - in our case the residences are bridging the invisible obstacle of the underground car tunnel. Our plot is surrounded by great neighbors - Sacre Coeur Park, the Monastery of St. Gabriel and the Kinsky Garden, while hovering above the tunnel with panoramic views to Prague.
We cross the tunnel by means of two residential arms, trying to rehabilitate the footprint of the original city block, which was partially demolished in the 1980’.
Along the eastern facade we are introducing a free parterre zone with an arcade, which connects the green inner courtyard with the adjacent park, emphasizing the "jagged" facade of tilted window bays directed towards the sunny valley.
Opposite to the neo-Romanesque monastery the building steps back from the street line for the purpose of a new public space with shops and a bus stop.
The bridging steel structure is pierced through the building and defines the spatial arrangement where bearing trusses can be enjoyed inside the loft apartments. The roof-scape is structured by five separate penthouses that respond to the scale of surrounding roofs while providing ample privacy and views for their residents.
Parking and cellars are located under the entire building being the only structure resting on the descending tunnel. The garage space cascades along the given slope and creates terraces for car lots.