Little America - Multifunctional house in the centre of Brno, Czech Republic

FAST VUT - Faculty of Civil Engineering, Brno University of Technology, Department of Architecture

Project idea

The idea of the project is to create a multifunctional building that will be tastefully integrated into the historic centre of Brno and at the same time offer modern and functional spaces for shops and administration. In my project I try to connect all functions, but also to solve material and material treatises and thus respond to the purpose of this construction. The idea was to create a building that would correspond both functionally and with its architectural expression.

Project description

The architectural expression is based on a horizontal mass that respects the surrounding building line and is spread over the entire length of the site. The building consists of seven buildings connected on a common basement. Together with the historic Little America building, they form a small plaza. The façade is clad in red brick colored ceramic tiles that blend harmoniously into the context of the historic development. The floor with the commercial arcade is fully glazed, which makes the attractiveness of the floor present itself externally. The recessed ground floor has a pleasant effect on passers-by and encourages them to shop. The regularly structured façade and its shape support the integrity of the design, which does not deliberately want to draw attention to itself, but to create a dignified background for social events. The internal layout offers retail space on the first and second floors, while the third to sixth floors are used for office space. The building includes a new public space, over which a bridge connects the new building to the Little America building. Overall, the project offers a modern and efficient environment for a variety of functions while respecting the urban context and historical context of the site.

Technical information

The building is designed as a reinforced concrete skeleton with a ventilated suspended facade and ceramic cladding. The horizontal structures are made of a reinforced concrete slab ceiling with a thickness of 180 mm. The internal staircase is cantilevered reinforced concrete with space for lift shafts. The flat roof structure is placed on the ceiling structure with a lined attic and cladding.

The area of 27.450 m2 is divided into a part for park and recreation (9.480 m2) and a part for multifunctional building (17.970 m2).
The size of the sales area is 3.250 m2, the administrative area is 5.400 m2, the accessory area is 5.100 m2 and the total floor area is 13.750 m2. The building has a residence roof area of 1.530 m2.