Kabelovna Studios | B² Architecture

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Kabelovna Studios | B² Architecture

Information

  • Project Name: Kabelovna Studios
  • Practice: B² Architecture
  • Products: Herman Miller , Petrof Pianos , BOMMA , Morávek , Starsun , BePureHome , Dřevopodnik Holešov , Lappa design , B² Architecture , Lukáš Špetlík
  • Completion year: 2022
  • Gross Built up Area: 250 sqm
  • Project Location: Prague
  • Country: Czech Republic
  • Clients: Karel Havlíček / Kabelovna Studios
  • Photo Credits: Alex Shoots Buildings
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Excerpt: Kabelovna Studios is a commercial space designed by the architectural firm B² Architecture. The space in which the studios are set brings together several artistic entities: a fashion designer, a painter, a screen-printing production business, and lastly, the recording studios, thus creating a vibrant creative environment. This is a new concept for what the post-production and music recording environment could look like: studios that connect an authentic industrial aesthetic with natural elements of light that beam through large skylights and well-placed glass partitions.

Project Description

[Text as submitted by Architect] Kabelovna Studios are located in a former electrical cable-making factory in the district of Holesovice, in the heart of Prague, Czech Republic. The facility, constructed in 1908, is a part of Prague’s workers’ colony from the 1870s.

Kabelovna Studios | B² Architecture
© Alex Shoots Buildings

Since then, the area has developed around the former factory while preserving the industrial atmosphere within the city block that houses it. The hall in which the studios are set brings together several artistic entities: a fashion designer, a painter, a screen-printing production business, and lastly, the recording studios, thus creating a vibrant creative environment.

Kabelovna Studios | B² Architecture
© Alex Shoots Buildings
Kabelovna Studios | B² Architecture
© B² Architecture

This is a new concept for what the post-production and music recording environment could look like: studios that connect an authentic industrial aesthetic with natural elements of light that beam through large skylights and well-placed glass partitions. The restored brick walls of this former factory work perfectly with the acoustic requirements of a modern recording studio and complete the space beautifully. These walls are complemented by the diffusing properties of acoustic panels and by the five-meter tall, sloped ceilings.

Kabelovna Studios | B² Architecture
© Alex Shoots Buildings

Entranced by the location’s strong character and genius loci, the architects decided to highlight it as much as possible. A new beige anhydrite floor unifies the space. It allows the walls and other existing textures and elements to become the focal point. Black was used for the new modern inserts – such as the doors or technical equipment- and as a background for the older furniture pieces and the custom-designed light fixtures.

Kabelovna Studios | B² Architecture
© Alex Shoots Buildings
Kabelovna Studios | B² Architecture
© B² Architecture

The spatial organization is simple and intuitive. It starts with a large gathering room, or the studio’s living room located in the hall’s highest area. It welcomes guests with a reception table, a seating area, and a kitchen line. At the same time, the recording studios are accessible behind partially glazed doors.

Kabelovna Studios | B² Architecture
© Alex Shoots Buildings

The “living room” is dominated by a Bomma Orbital chandelier that floats above a massive wooden table, further enhancing the space’s sense of height. The plants, which freely establish themselves over the black walls, separate the reception from the rest of the hall’s inhabitants and are housed in carefully concealed planters. Each recording studio is equipped with a white voice-over booth.

Kabelovna Studios | B² Architecture
© Alex Shoots Buildings
Kabelovna Studios | B² Architecture
© Alex Shoots Buildings

The refurbished furniture and the overall composition of the space create an inspirational yet cosy atmosphere. The seating combines recycled leather seats and black leather armchairs from the 1970s. The foldable chairs, previously used in an actual theatre, are placed in the studio’s “living room” to encourage more guests to be a part of the inevitable parties.
The neon lights, designed by the architects, are also a nod to the studio’s function. A visual of the large warm sound waves that dominate the ceilings of the recording studios and constantly change as they move through the space. These delicate structures are adorned by a neon number assigned to each studio and invite the artists to explore the room.

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