Noah - Pilgrim Accomodation

Mnichovo Hradiště is a town in the Central Bohemian region, which lies on the so-called Žitav route, which is one of the pilgrimage routes of St. James. The new building was built on the land in possession of the current rectory. This is a new construction of pilgrim accommodation, which is intended to support pilgrims and provide them with a place to rest. The building fills the empty space between the existing objects with its mass, in a rather unconventional way. This building refers to Christianity and takes its inspiration from the biblical story of Noah's Ark. The shape of the building resembles a ship turned upside down. The building has 3 above-ground floors. It does not have a basement, so it sits directly on the ground. On the ground floor there are operating rooms and spaces intended for social interests. The so-called 'night part' of the building is located on the first floor. The main space of this section is a corridor, which also serves as a small study room, from which it is possible to get to the rooms. The rooms are symbolically named after the animals from the biblical Noah's Ark (Tiger, Donkey, Deer, Bison, Hippopotamus, Lion, Antelope, Zebra, Giraffe and Elephant). The individual rooms are conceived as separate cells with a duplex floor. French windows connecting the rooms with the study are accessible from the 3rd floor. Structurally, it was chosen that the heavy, reinforced concrete part of the entire building will be only 1 floor together with the corresponding ceiling. From the 2nd floor to the roof, the building is designed from massive CLT panels, whose wooden structure is prescribed in the interior. This gives the visitor the impression of a real ship built from the wood of a gopher tree. The space of the study room deliberately creates a cathedral impression in connection with the high ceiling and lighting from above. On the exterior, the building is covered with a ventilated facade from floor to top. A larch shingle was chosen as the surface layer of this shell, which resembles the cypress (gopher) boards lining the legendary ark.