The design by Pavel Hnilička Architects+Planners organizes the program on three levels. The ground floor features a glass-enclosed café that connects to the playground, along with public restrooms, the clubhouse, and other facilities. A spiral staircase connects to a rooftop viewing terrace, and the basement level houses the changing rooms and bathrooms, integrated into the terrain to reduce the project's volumetric impact on the neighborhood.
The new pavilion rises on a structure of oak columns, reminiscent of the classic compositions of a small temple, conveying an image of balance, proportion, and harmony. The columns are load-bearing and are supported by architraves with simple friezes, which serve to support the roof structure. A carefully considered language of finishes features detailed cornices and the ends of the beams tapering to soften the visual effect of the roof's edge.
Beseda Ořechovka Tennis Club by Pavel Hnilička Architects+Planners. Photograph by Tomáš Slavík.
Project description by Pavel Hnilička Architects+Planners
The new tennis club pavilion is located in the very heart of Prague's district of Ořechovka. It was built on the site of a small wooden clubhouse that stood there during the First Republic, which was replaced in the 1980s by a temporary building of prefabricated site units. This 'temporary structure' lasted for almost 50 years and has deteriorated badly.
The wooden structure is intentionally lightweight and built on columns like a garden pavilion in the middle of a park. Its expression evokes spa gazebos and colonnades associated with tranquility. The building uses classic architectural elements such as a plinth, a column row and a lintel with a cornice. The wooden oak columns are load-bearing and use the proven principle of entasis for their elegance. They are supported by architraves with simplified friezes and then a coupled frame ceiling structure. The protruding rafters taper at their ends to soften the visual effect of the roof edge. The emphasis is on quality, durability and craftsmanship of materials.
The above-ground part of the tennis club is defined by a glass café open on three sides with access to the changing rooms and the playground, followed by the clubhouse, public toilets and storage rooms. A spiral staircase leads up to the rooftop viewing terrace. At first glance, it is not noticeable that the upper part of the building covers the existing brick substation. In the lower part, the changing rooms and toilets are hidden under the adjacent terrain to make the building appear optically smaller and to integrate it into the context of its surroundings.
Wide stairs for seating are placed on the axis of Machar Square, facing the liveliest part of the street. To the east, the terrain is raised, expanding the outdoor café area that has become very popular for pétanque.
