Based on a former Dominican Monastery, the Mandarin Oriental, which opened last fall in Malá Strana, was immediately hailed an architectural and design success. With remnants of preserved Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque motifs and the site as a whole under state monument protection, it would indeed be a challenge for architects awarded with the task of fusing these elements with the function and design of a complex modern hotel.

With the goal of preserving as much as possible the authenticity and architectural style of the existing historical buildings, the principal structures of which served originally as a Baroque monastery, Vitězslava Rothbaurerová and Jiří Hůrka of Dům a město architects approached the project with laudable sensitivity. Adding what they describe as a new architectural layer to the preceeding centuries, they sought to design newly added portions and interior features with an emphasis on simple forms, careful to pay respect to, rather than distract from, the historic remains.

Materials and methods used for most of the older components of the project corresponded to those used historically in the Czech lands and included limestone facades, oak window frames and doors, and parquet floors. Polished limestone from southern Europe was used for floors inside the hotel while paving slabs from Czech sandstone mined in Božanov were used outside. Lightweight metal and glass constituted the primary new materials.

While the original external appearance of the building has been preserved, a newly built section was built in the central courtyard, which, the architects say, helps define the original character of the complex with a square inner garden. “The new building was designed in a way that clearly distinguishes between the contemporary elements and materials and the historical ones. The new part is separated from the original cloister by a narrow open atrium running the entire length and height of the new annex,” said Rothbauerová.

Original architectural features, such as stone doorways, vaulted Gothic ceilings and Baroque embellishments meld with the simplicity of the modern additions so that the result is never austere. London-based KCA, under the guidance of Khuan Chew, designed the room interiors and Klaus Sporer of Germany-based Sporer Plus were responsible for public spaces.

Archeological studies required during construction were long and, for the investor, costly, but findings yielded even more than either the architects and hotel representatives expected, and alterations in design often had to be changed to take these into account. Among the most significant were the remains of foundation walls belonging to the Gothic church of St. Mary of Magdalene from the 14th century, now on permanent display under a glass floor in centre of the hotel spa’s lobby. The architects also respected the dimensions of the original church’s nave for the lobby of the spa, a small building facing Karmelitská street, accessible via the courtyard and connected to the rest of the hotel by above ground and underground halls.

Also among the most surprising findings was the number of discoveries from the remains of a Nebovidy village dating back to the 12th century, some 370,000 artifacts including jewelry, coins, and pieces of architectural stone details. All were recorded by the National Monuments Institute and a selection is on permanent display in various places in the hotel, including the hotel’s bar, BAREGO, and the underground corrider leading from the main portion of the hotel to the spa.

“We appreciate the fact that in this complex project with a number of discoveries, all the parties involved worked so well together, including the archaeologists and preservationists,” said Rothbauerová.