On a rocky slope above the Vltava River, the classicist château Jabloňka stretches over Prague.

Under the château, terraced vineyards with picturesque views of the metropolis form the dominant feature of the northern part of the city.

Prague was once called the "city of wine" when the Vltava river basin was still planted with long belts of vineyards in the golden ages of the reign of Charles IV. Černý Kopec hill (nowadays Jabloňka) was no exception. After the influence of the Thirty Years' War, the Prague vineyards lay fallow and deserted. As a result, Černý Kopec was covered with apple trees, from which the name Jabloňka comes from. In the 18th century, a classicist style château was built on top of the Jabloňka hill, which offered spectacular views of the Vltava river. Classicism, in its aesthetic attitude, depended on principles based on Classical antiquity. Its emphasis on form, simplicity, proportion and perfection awakened a romanticized memory of the Mediterranean cultures of ancient Greece and Rome.

During the centuries to come, the area under Jabloňka changed radically. In 1830 the Northern Railway was introduced, which led to a drastic city expansion. The once-romantic views of vineyards disappeared and were slowly replaced by those of the growing metropolis. In the late 2000s, the area saw another radical modification - the construction of tunnel complex Blanka, which ironically worsened traffic congestion, noise and CO2 pollution in the Troja area.

The storied and beautiful château became encircled by noisy roads and rapid changes. At about the same time, Jabloňka became privately owned. Curious about its past, the owners decided to continue the historical legacy of the place and restored its vineyards on the adjacent land. In 2013, they planted the first seedlings of the Jabloňka wine, offering only three varieties in limited editions, namely Ryýnský Ryzlink, Ryýnský Ryzlink Červený, and Tramín Červený. While clearing the old garden, the stone terraces were discovered, which inspired the establishment of a wine-tasting patio.

Guided by history, the goal was to bring back the romantic antiquity of the vineyard gardens. Driven by their southern European roots, the architects proposed an idyllic patio, allowing its users to distance themselves from the busyness of the bohemian capital city.

Forgotten in the terraced vineyard, a stone ruin with a curved space was discovered. Since the ruin was subtly integrated with the landscape, it became the basis of the intervention. The genius loci suggested the Fibonacci Spiral movement, which was perfectly aligned with the existing ruin. An oasis of silence was created by enhancing the walls of the spiral as an answer to the problem of noise pollution. A simple space sheltered from the city creates an ambiance which directs its users' focus back to the château and the tranquil slope of the vineyards rows.

The overall intervention was driven by discovering and preserving the existing elements found on site. By framing one of them - an old oak tree with a door, a dominant feature of symbolism was established. While the doors are closed, his attention stays focused on the vineyards without the preeminent view to the city. On the other hand, one could reconnect with the city by opening the window. Another corten door was created by mirroring the door feature on its axis. The latter niche serves as a small wine cellar, open for storing and serving the wine.

The Fibonacci patio is surrounded by indirect lighting facing the new stone walls and additionally, is split into two different functional levels, the lower one intended for necessary connections and the higher one as the wine-tasting area centralized by a rounded table, which serves as the main space for gathering and socialization.

PROJECT DETAILS

Studio: Marco Maio Architects

Author: Marco Maio, David Obrovnik, Kaja Likar, Katarina Kobale

Website | Social Media
Client: Jabloňka Winery Project Location: Troja, Prague

Project Country: Czech Republic 

Completion Year: 2022

Built-up Area: 100 m² 

Photographer: BoysPlayNice

Collaborator: COR-TEN works: Jakub Ščerba