Prague-based Marco Maio Architects has designed a wine-tasting patio in a vineyard in Prague, a city once called the "city of wine". Located on Jabloňka hill, the vineyard was planted by the new owners when they acquired the land and wanted to recover their legacy since the vines had disappeared over the years.

When clearing the garden, the stone walls that made up the terraces of the old vineyard were discovered and it was decided to create a patio there to do wine tastings. The project was inserted into the space generated by the curved shape of one of the walls, similar to the Fibonacci Spiral.
The objective of the Marco Maio Architects project was to recover the romantic character of the vineyards gardens in antiquity. Thereby it was proposed to build an idyllic courtyard that would allow the user to isolate themselves from the bustle of the capital. The Fibonacci Spiral shape delimits a simple and calm space that is closed to the city and directs the attention towards the rows of vines.

One of the main interventions of the project consists of a corten steel door that opens in the wall and frames an old oak tree, isolating or visually communicating the courtyard with the city. In the projection of this hole on the opposite wall, another door is placed that opens to a minimal warehouse/bodega.

The patio is illuminated perimetrally and indirectly, and its floor is at two different levels. The lower space is for circulation and the upper one functions as a wine-tasting area and meeting space, concentrically organized around a round table.


Fibonacci by Marco Maio Architects. Photograph by BoysPlayNice.


Fibonacci by Marco Maio Architects. Photograph by BoysPlayNice.
 

Project description by Marco Maio Architects

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 château in classicist style was built on top of the Jabloňka hill, which offered spectacular views on the Vltava river. Classicism in its aesthetic attitude depended on principles based on Classical antiquity. With its emphasis on form, simplicity, proportion and perfection awakened a romanticised 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 expansion of the city. The once romantic views on vineyards disappeared and were slowly replaced by views on the growing metropolis. In the late 2000s the area saw another radical modification - construction of tunnel complex Blanka which ironically worsened traffic congestion, noise and CO2 pollution in the Troja area.


Fibonacci by Marco Maio Architects. Photograph by BoysPlayNice.

Once romantic and beautiful château became in the middle of the noisy roads and rapid changes. At about the same time Jabloňka became privately owned. Curious of its past, the owners decided to continue the historical legacy of the place and restored its vineyards on the adjacent land. In 2013 planted the first seedlings of the Jabloňka wine, offering only 3 varieties in limited editions, namely Ryýnský Ryzlink, Ryýnský Ryzlink Červený, Tramín Červený. While clearing the old garden, the stone terraces were discovered, which dictated 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 a creation of an idyllic patio, which would allow its users to lose the relation with 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. By enhancing the walls of the spiral, a unique oasis of silence was outlined, as an answer to the problems of the noise pollution. A simple space, closed from the city, creates an ambiance which directs its users' focus back to the château and the slope of the vineyards rows.


Fibonacci by Marco Maio Architects. Photograph by BoysPlayNice.

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 by opening the window, the relation with the city is established, and induces the future expansion of the vineyard. By mirroring the door feature on its  axis, another corten door was created. The latter niche serves as a small wine cellar, opening for storing and serving the wine.

The Fibonacci patio is surrounded by indirect lighting facing the new stone walls, additionally has a split in 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 of gathering and socialization.

More information

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Architects
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Project team
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Marco Maio, David Obrovnik, Kaja Likar, Katarina Kobale.
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Client
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Jabloňka Winery.
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Area
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100 m².
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Dates
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Project year.- 2018.
Completion year.- 2022.
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Location
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Troja, Prague. Czech Republic.
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Manufacturers Fabricantes
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COR-TEN works.- Jakub Ščerba.
Lights Sfera Portable.- Brokis.
Furniture.- Tribù.
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Photography
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Marco Maio Architects is an architecture studio founded by Marco Maio in Prague in 2016. Maio, has been a professor at ČVUT, Faculty of Architecture, 2009 - 2015, at Camões Institute / Charles University in Prague, 2010 - 2016, and since 2018 he is a professor at the Czech Technical University in Prague.

Marco Maio Architects is a team of young professionals from around the world based in Prague. They use their background differences to shape new and interesting designs. Their work consists of a wide range of architectural projects, from small scale designing of furniture, to bigger projects engaging in urbanistic developments of residential and other areas. Their main design focus point is shaping the light.
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Published on: March 22, 2023
Cite: "An oasis of silence. Fibonacci by Marco Maio Architects" METALOCUS. Accessed
<https://www.metalocus.es/en/news/oasis-silence-fibonacci-marco-maio-architects> ISSN 1139-6415
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