Project Description
FROM THE ARCHITECTS:
City Green Court is the third of a cluster of buildings and it completes the corner of the Radio Plaza superblock located in the Pankrac Development of Prague. Smaller in scale than its predecessor and sibling, City Tower, it is equally inspired by the language of Czech Cubism, with a façade that while addressing issues of conservation and sustainability, incorporates forms reminiscent of this avant-garde movement.
Distinctive vertical solid panels with fins, angled according to the sun orientation and integrated into the design of the curtain wall, emerge from both the south and west facades to minimize solar heat gain and to provide balanced shading and comfort towards the interiors. The combination of fin panels, clear vision glass and shadow box give the south and west facades a singular rhythm, texture and articulation.
The eight-story building is organized around a central sky lit atrium surrounded by efficient office floor spaces. To the south, a grand canopy marks the formal entrance to the building which leads into a single height lobby and a multi-story atrium. The southwest and northeast corners of the building are eroded, creating small, public arcades. These cuts, mirrored along a diagonal from northwest to southeast, echo the curtain wall parti and create a subtle dynamism to the building. Atop the seven office floors the partial mechanical penthouse level is revitalized by an extensive green roof and skylight. Inside, the atrium houses a tree and green wall, with bridges spanning from one side of the space to the other, and a free standing stair that connects the first four floors to promote less use of vertical transportation.
City Green Court has achieved LEED Platinum certification in the Czech Republic, and it has become the first office project in the Czech Republic built on a speculative basis to receive the highest LEED certification under the 2009 system.
via RichardMeier.com