Wedding Barn | Zakřany

The task of this project was to design a new wedding barn and accommodation for guests on a plot of land located on the outskirts of Zakřany village, in the vicinity of forests and a local sawmill. The motive accompanying the whole proposal is to strive for a sensitive approach to the balance between a traditional building such as a barn and a new building with a clearly defined purpose. This idea was fulfilled thanks to the simplification and rewriting of classic motifs and traditional materiality into a modern building, which, even with the expression of a new building, should create an atmosphere that makes up the ideal background for the ceremony and celebration of marriage.

The inspiration came from a traditional set of farms with a farmyard. The building is thus divided into two main volumes, between which a pleasant semi-public space for wedding guests is created. The materials are connected only symbolically by a wall with a gate, which completes the atmosphere of a traditional courtyard. This set of objects is situated to shield from any visual and acoustic smog of a nearby sawmill. In the same way, the volumes respond to the harsh terrain conditions of the land and the cardinal directions in an ideal position. From the first floor, the two-storey volumes are terminated by simple gable roofs.

The layout of the buildings is, traditionally for our work, based on a modular system, which connects the entire group of buildings. It brings two entrances to the first floor of the main building from the adjacent car park. The first of them leads to the main entrance hall open to the second floor with a massive wooden staircase. This brings guests both to the second floor and to the basement with a large wine cellar and technical facilities of the barn. Furthermore, in the entrance hall there is a cloakroom, an entrance for supplies, a service part of the building, a warehouse and a children’s play area. The entrance hall also connects across the courtyard both axially and visually to the entrance and communication core of the second accommodation facility. The second entrance leads guests directly into the large wedding hall, which opens across two floors to a massive timber roof made of glued trusses. At the front of the hall there is a dance floor zone, which can be transformed into a stage or ceremonial platform thanks to a unique system. Above this space there is a large round window, which is not only reminiscent of the church rosette, but also the traditional lighting opening of the attic hay space. Thus, despite its origin, this element does not have a visible connection with Christian motifs, which was a desirable feature of the space, which is to serve the general public. The window is also located at the gallery level on the second floor. The truss adapts with its construction and the window thus fully illuminates the roof of the hall. Under the gallery there is a bar and access to a slightly recessed service zone. On the other side of the bar is the entrance to the connecting corridor of the entrance hall and the hall, along the length of which there is the hygienic facility of the building. Behind this facility there is a service zone and a kitchen, and therefore a snack bar.

The accommodation wing connects to the wedding barn building in terms of character and module. The small courtyard, which is to be the center of events in summer, is soundproofed in the building by an acoustic barrier of a linear corridor. This on the first floor leads to the best and most equipped rooms for newlyweds and closest relatives. On the second floor, we get to the corridor  by a staircase, axially connected to the staircase of the barn. Here, large rooms for larger groups of guests open into the open truss. The pursuit of high-level sanitary facilities was then fulfilled in each of the rooms. The dominant material elements that distinguish the building from the wedding barn are the terrace boxes in each of the rooms on the first floor. They focus on the scenic views of the landscape, create natural shading and create the necessary privacy for newlyweds and guests.