THE GLASS CABIN || A Modern Glass Extension to a 130-Year Cabin Changes its Architectural Game
In the sunshine, it glistens like a marble. From the front, an inconspicuous cabin, one of the last ones before you arrive at Jizera.
But the other side of the building reveals that something extraordinary has transpired here. Behind the curtain of the original cabin, a glittering glass extension has sprung up, and the house is ripe for the next act of its play.
The cabin has stood here, in a meadow in the Jizera Mountains, for over a hundred years. The world around it has changed since it was built from the timber and granite of the surrounding forests. Two world wars had swept through Europe, the Czech Republic through the dark period of communism and the frenzied post-revolution years. In those years, Humanity managed to land on the moon, which continues to shine over the meadow today. Mushrooms still grow behind the cabin, and birds unleash a chirping frenzy in the mornings. The world has become faster and more connected, but some things remain the same.
The glass extension springs from the original 130-year cabin.
Playing in the snow is allowed!
The mornings here are beautiful. Dewdrops glisten on cobwebs in the clearing outside the windows, and the cold kitchen floor welcomes the early birds in the sitting room. Wood crackles in the fire, and tea brews on the stove.
While the cabin is refurbished with the future in mind, the team felt they needed to hold onto all the wonderful, wild and unwieldy aspects of its past. It was essential not to strip the cabin of its intangible soul, the fragrance of the timber and the stark chill of the granite blocks. What remained has been complemented with a new quality that doesn't seek to compete with the past.
The brass-clad ceiling bathes the glass cabin extension in a warm glimmering sheen.
A cozy sitting area looks out to the surrounding landscape.
The oven and the stove in the sitting room became the heart of the cabin's layout. Walking around the chimney is like spinning a time machine back and forth between the past and the future. It takes a second to go through a century.
It's a spectacle. A lightweight, transparent structure filled with glass panes defines a slightly sunken spacious living room that combines a modern kitchen and plenty of free space. The rather unusual layout captivates a multitude of vibes and atmospheres. The glossy brass-clad ceiling reflects each shift in the outdoor ambience. Climb a few more from the kitchen steps, and one is back in the old familiar Jizera cabin.
The original dining room leads to the sunken glass extension.
The downstairs area has been outfitted with the essentials of any cabin. The stone bathroom built between the original walls is a cleansing machine. The water from the showers hits the concrete islets and vanishes below the perforated floor grating. White steam is condensing on the stones over which the spring waters of the nearby Jizera River may once have flowed.
From the entrance corridor, one can climb to the first floor on subtle steel stairs past a round skylight that illuminates the entire space. The old beams smell of history, and above is the original thatched roof, which the team managed to preserve. It offers a glimpse of the house before in times past. Where the planks of the original floor could not be salvaged, there is now a glass floor. The glazed elements replacing the decayed wood link the interior space into a surprising ensemble and provide unexpected views throughout the house.
A glass floor replaced the original wood that could not be salvaged.
A steel staircase leads to the upper floor housing the bedrooms.
The skylight basks the upper floor bedrooms in moonlight at night.
The upper floor is dedicated to slumber. Four bedrooms offer the snoozers a wide range of experiences. The glass-walled master bedroom is a charmer. At night, in the hours when the house falls silent and one drifts into a dream, it becomes the captain's bridge. The round skylight shines like the moon over the sea, and the sailors in bed have the whole ocean of the interior at their fingertips.
The large children's bedroom is also a playroom where children can play should the weather outside turn rough. If there's any place for mischief, it's here. The classic rooms of the mountain cabin have been reimagined for the other two bedrooms. They're the kind of places where the sun tickles you in the morning, and you say: "God, it's so good to sleep here!"
The round skylight emanates an ethereal glow at night.
An almost invisible sauna is nestled in a snow bank not far away from the cabin.
PROJECT DETAILS
Studio: Mjölk architekti
Project Location: Polubný, KoĊenov, Liberecký kraj
Project Country: Czech Republic
Project Year: 2018
Completion Year: 2020
Built-up Area: 189 m²
Gross Floor Area: 239 m²
Usable Floor Area: 121 m²
Plot Size: 3364 m²
Dimensions: 754 m3
Photographer: BoysPlayNice
Collaborators
General Contractor: Aron house
Interior Supplier: Sollus nábytek