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A Beautiful House Hidden Behind A Large Concrete Wall

By Simona Ganea | Published on

This sleek and modern home sits in place of a 100 year old house with a traditional design and a gabled roof in Liberec, the Czech Republic. It was designed and built by studio Mjölk architects and it actually reuses the basement section of the original structure, being built on top of it and using it as a foundation.

The rest of the old house was in bad shape and had to be demolished. The stone basement was worth preserving, hence the difference in style between this section and the newly-added wooden volumes sitting on top. A key design feature of this project is the concrete wall which sits between the house and the busy road. It looks a bit like a fake facade, a mask that the house is hiding behind.

The house is built on top of the old structure's basement level which is made out of stoneView in gallery
The house is built on top of the old structure’s basement level which is made out of stone
the new additions are placed on top of the stone volume and are clad in timberView in gallery
the new additions are placed on top of the stone volume and are clad in timber
The dark exterior of the new volumes contrasts with the stone belowView in gallery
The dark exterior of the new volumes contrasts with the stone below

Behind the concrete wall is a small yard which acts as a buffer between the road, the entrance, the guest house and the rest of the green areas. The old stone basement now holds the living spaces which extend into the new section built on top.

The transition between the materials, the old and the new is quite harmonious but also quite suddenView in gallery
The transition between the materials, the old and the new is quite harmonious but also quite sudden
The house overlooks a beautiful valley and was designed to take advantage of the viewView in gallery
The house overlooks a beautiful valley and was designed to take advantage of the view

Large glazed sections connect the indoor spaces to the yard and reveal serene views of the valley below. The newly-build part of the house is divided into two modules: a family home and a guest house. They both have black wooden facades and together with the stone volume add up to 271 square meters of living space. Inside the volumes are modern with Nordic influences and industrial elements. One of the living areas harmonizes these styles seamlessly, featuring a stylish Eames lounge chair paired with a minimalist light grey sofa, a wood-burning stove and industrial light fixtures, all on polished concrete flooring.

The stone-clad volume houses some of the social areas, featuring large glazed surfaces that let the outdoors inView in gallery
The stone-clad volume houses some of the social areas, featuring large glazed surfaces that let the outdoors in
A set of wide concrete stairs connect the kitchen and dining area to the lounge spaceView in gallery
A set of wide concrete stairs connect the kitchen and dining area to the lounge space
This cozy living room is small and simple-looking, with a large panorama window as a focal pointView in gallery
This cozy living room is small and simple-looking, with a large panorama window as a focal point
The interior spaces are organized on several different levels, not in the most traditional sense but quite practicalView in gallery
The interior spaces are organized on several different levels, not in the most traditional sense but quite practical
The master bedroom features wardrobe units hanging from the ceiling which saves floor space and creates an airy lookView in gallery
The master bedroom features wardrobe units hanging from the ceiling which saves floor space and creates an airy look
The same combination of modern, Nordic and industrial and featured in all the main spaces throughout the houseView in gallery
The same combination of modern, Nordic and industrial and featured in all the main spaces throughout the house
The en-suite bathroom has bare walls and exposed pipes which double as decorative elementsView in gallery
The en-suite bathroom has bare walls and exposed pipes which double as decorative elements
There's definitely a stronger industrial vibe in spaces like this bathroom compared to some of the other roomsView in gallery
There’s definitely a stronger industrial vibe in spaces like this bathroom compared to some of the other rooms
Despite the different floor plans and reduced room proportions, there's a nice and organic flow between all the spacesView in gallery
Despite the different floor plans and reduced room proportions, there’s a nice and organic flow between all the spaces
The palette of materials used throughout the project is reduced to only a few including stone, concrete and woodView in gallery
The palette of materials used throughout the project is reduced to only a few including stone, concrete and wood
The bedrooms feature clever storage solutions which make up for the small footprintView in gallery
The bedrooms feature clever storage solutions which make up for the small footprint
A concrete wall acts as a shield between the house and the road which borders itView in gallery
A concrete wall acts as a shield between the house and the road which borders it
The wall offers privacy and also blocks some of the noise coming from the streetView in gallery
The wall offers privacy and also blocks some of the noise coming from the street