The studio sits on the top floor of Bratislava’s Metropol building, completed in 1928 and designed by renowned Slovak architect Juraj Tvarožek. After a layered history, the building is now undergoing renewal. My approach to the renovation was guided by respect for its legacy. The brief is self-imposed. The studio should constitute a flexible environment in which architectural practice and other creative activities (woodworking, ceramics) can enrich one another.

A strong feature of the existing space has been and remain the reinforced concrete ceiling beams, that branch across the entire interior. New spatial organization follows the beam structure. Bookcases, counters, and hanging elements are positioned in relation to the existing ceiling scheme, allowing the space to remain open while creating smaller nooks for concentration and privacy. Beams are restored to their exposed state. A core intention was to keep their continuity legible throughout the interior layout.

The beams are uneven and follow an upward slope - designing with them, not against them, proved beneficial. Integrated LED lighting is mounted along their sides, creating concealed niches in which the light source remains hidden.

As the ceiling is visually complex, all newly inserted elements were conceived as light, transparent, and adaptable - including glass partitions, tubular steel furniture, tables on wheels and suspended raw canvas screens. The studio can thus change its scale and atmosphere, from meetings and presentations to focused work, model-making and material experimentation.

The studio is divided into two primary zones. They are distinguished by floor color: a white “clean” zone for meetings, presentations + compact kitchen, and a gray work zone designed for more intensive creative production.

Metal and wood are primary materials used for the furniture. Old gas pipes discovered in the renovation were welded together and now form a faucet for the washroom sink. Raw steel elements were intentionally weathered to engage with the existing material context.