Extension to Prague’s Planetarium, modernisation and upgrading. The redesign enhances an improved connection and experience for the public.
Prague’s Planetarium in Stromovka park first opened in 1960, at the time in Europe, it was one of the most state-of-the-art planetariums with the theatre housed in a 23.5m diameter dome.
Studio Name: collcoll
Design Team: Adam Kössler, Krištof Hanzlík, Libor Mládek, Ondřej Michálek, Tereza Scheibová, Vanda Kotková, Vavřinec Veselý
Area: 26500m2 to be refurbished (existing)
12200m2 newbuilt addition
Year: 2018
Location: Prague
Consultants: structural engineers http://www.experis-dskm.cz
Photography Credits: Boys Play Nice, mVize
However, as scientific knowledge grows and the understanding of the cosmos expands so do the needs and requirements of connecting and educating (communicating) these new horizons to the public. The reconstruction and modernisation of the Planetarium includes an extension to the buildings functions and programming with an adjacent building.
The circular geometry of the building and tight constraints of the site in the park limited the side or orientation for an extension. COLLCOLL’s creative solution was massing the extension as a concentric circle around the planetarium. With one sweeping curve, the form’s circle maintains the scale of the building while simplifying existing operational complications and provides a barrier free access easier for the public.
They dynamic tilt of the ring’s form is a slope that connects the new entrance and provides level floor access to the main building at two locations. These bridging points also provide separation and independent operation of the planetarium’s different functions. This expands the operational diversity and the use of the planetarium allowing for more income sources for the client.