Apartment building "Variable Railroad Switch"

The project presents a housing concept located in close proximity to the Kralupy nad Vltavou railway station, just 45 minutes from the center of Prague. The goal of the design was to offer affordable housing as a response to the rising real estate prices in the capital while utilizing an unused plot adjacent to the railway. A key theme of the project is the harmonious integration of functionality, adaptability, and community life. The building creates a semi-open space oriented towards the railway, featuring a café and a public area with views of the tracks. This space is elevated above the first floor and connected to a bike path, which acts as a buffer zone for the railway. The lower floor includes garages and community workshops, serving both the buildings residents and the general public. Adjacent to the workshops, there is a skate park and a covered area with tiered seating, suitable for outdoor cinema screenings in the summer. Flexibility and sustainability are the main principles of the design. The apartments are designed to allow easy conversions between layouts of 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom, and 3-bedroom units, accommodating the changing needs of residents over time. The repeating modular structure of the building ensures flexibility while referencing the rhythm of railway carriages. The shape of the building evokes the diverging tracks of a railway switch.