steel layered facade revives 1969 modernist city hall in czech republic
atelier gram reworks Přerov City Hall as an open civic facility
The reconstruction of Přerov City Hall by atelier gram transforms a closed administrative building completed in 1969 into an open, multifunctional civic facility. The project retains the original steel structure and reinforced-concrete panels while introducing new spatial, material, and technological layers to meet current requirements for energy efficiency, fire safety, user comfort, and long-term use. A new glazed staircase on the south facade becomes the main architectural intervention, connecting the building’s administrative functions with exhibition areas, informal meeting spaces, and publicly accessible destinations.
The existing building represents a particular period of modernist public architecture, characterised by functional planning and an inward-facing relationship with its surroundings. The reconstruction addresses the changing role of public administration by opening the building towards the T. G. M. square and incorporating functions that extend beyond municipal offices. The intervention establishes City Hall as a civic infrastructure in which circulation, meeting, exhibition, and administrative spaces are connected within a more accessible spatial framework.
all images © Maxime Delvaux
A glazed staircase opens the administration to the square
The new staircase is attached to the south façade facing the city square and forms the central organisational element of the reconstruction. Enclosed in glass, it provides a continuous vertical connection between the floors while making movement through the building visible from the public realm. The staircase accommodates exhibition areas and informal meeting spaces alongside its circulation function, bringing activities that would traditionally remain within internal corridors closer to the facade.
The intervention by czech design practice atelier gram establishes a diagonal public route through the building, beginning at the ground-floor reception and continuing upwards to the top floor, where the registry office and café are located. This circulation sequence provides a new connection between the square, the municipal offices, and the publicly accessible rooftop level.
The entrance hall extends the public square indoors
At ground level, a fully glazed entrance hall creates a direct visual and spatial connection with T. G. M. square. The transparent facade allows views through the building towards the backyard, establishing sightlines between the urban space and the interior. The ground floor consequently operates as an extension of the square, with the boundary between public space and municipal infrastructure becoming more permeable. At the opposite end of the building’s vertical sequence, the rooftop terrace and café form a lightweight pavilion with views across Přerov. The accessible roof becomes the endpoint of the public route established by the new staircase, introducing a civic destination above the administrative floors.
Inside, non-load-bearing partitions have been removed to create open floor plates organised around a stable central core. The arrangement allows workplaces to be reconfigured as requirements change, using lightweight partitions without altering the primary structure. This approach increases spatial flexibility while limiting the need for extensive structural intervention. The open-plan strategy also makes use of the existing modernist structural system. By retaining the principal load-bearing elements and reorganising the internal layout around them, the reconstruction combines adaptability with a comparatively economical construction approach.
Existing structure forms the basis for new material layers
The material strategy is based on retaining the valuable elements of the late-1960s building and adding new layers where necessary to address contemporary technical and environmental requirements. The original load-bearing steel frame and floor and ceiling slabs made from prefabricated reinforced-concrete PZD panels remain in place. These elements were cleaned, structurally assessed, and adapted for their new use. The original construction therefore remains legible within the renovated building, while new finishes and technical layers establish a contemporary architectural expression.
The steel skeleton of columns and beams continues to form the primary structural system. To satisfy current fire-resistance requirements, the individual steel elements have been enclosed with fire-protective plasterboard and finished with anodized aluminum sheeting. The treatment gives the exposed structure a consistent appearance while distinguishing the new finish from the original structural material. The existing reinforced-concrete floor panels have been supplemented with new floor build-ups designed to improve thermal and acoustic performance. These comprise thermal and impact-sound insulation, a leveling anhydrite screed, and a final polyurethane resin finish. The durable, easily maintained surface creates a continuous interior finish while maintaining the clarity of the existing structural grid.
facade combines modular rhythm with new performance layers
The renewed facade follows the original modular arrangement of alternating glazed and solid panels, retaining the proportions and rhythm of the 1969 building. New thermal insulation and contemporary window and door fillings improve the performance of the building envelope while maintaining its underlying composition. On the south-facing sections, expanded-metal shading elements are integrated into the facade to limit solar heat gain and reduce overheating. The shading also introduces a changing visual layer to the building. Its appearance varies according to daylight, time of day, and the viewer’s position, adding depth to the otherwise regular facade grid. On the west side, the original reinforced-concrete arcade elements within the passage have been preserved. Their surfaces were renewed with břízolit, a pebble-dash render consistent with the material character of the existing building. The treatment protects the concrete elements while maintaining their relationship with the surrounding public space.
The reconstruction of Přerov City Hall is consequently based on a combination of retention, adaptation, and addition. Its original steel frame, prefabricated concrete panels, facade rhythm, and arcade elements remain part of the building, while new circulation, glazing, shading, finishes, and technical systems address contemporary requirements. The project uses material and spatial interventions to shift the building from an inward-facing administrative structure towards a more accessible civic facility, while keeping its original structural logic visible.
project info:
name: City Hall in Přerov
architects: atelier gram
client: Statutory City of Přerov
location: Přerov, Czech Republic
photographer: © Maxime Delvaux
lead architects: Anne-Sereine Tremblay, Jan Kudlička (atelier gram); Marina Kounavi (anagram architecture)
design team: Anne-Sereine Tremblay, Jan Kudlička, Marina Kounavi, Konstantina Lola, Sebastian Prado Alcala, Maria Karatsiompani, Petr Kalivoda, Simos Makaronas, Klára Lanžhotská, David Vaculík
construction: VCES a.s.
consultants: JIKA-CZ, Energy Benefit Center
program: Municipal Administration of Přerov, Registry Office, Exhibition Spaces, Café & Rooftop Terrace
graphics: © atelier gram
City Hall in Numbers total floor area: 5,000 sqm
number of floors: 6 above-ground floors + 1 basement
height of building: 30 m
area of rooftop terrace: 251 sqm
original building: 1969
year completion: 2026
year competition: 2021
duration of construction: 2 years (2024–2026)
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edited by: Christina Vergopoulou | designboom
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