Abbot Gregor Mendel established the groundwork for modern genetics in the mid-19th century, pioneering the concept of dominant and recessive traits passed from one generation to another. The greenhouse he used to conduct his experiments in cross-breeding varieties of peas was destroyed by a storm in the 1870s, but the 14th-century Augustinian monastery in Brno, Czech Republic, where he lived and worked remains active today. To honor his legacy and invite the public to explore its grounds, the monastery commissioned Czech architecture and urban design studio Chybík + Krištof (a 2019 Design Vanguard firm) to design a pavilion on the site of the greenhouse.
Photographs of the original greenhouse and remnants of its foundations informed Chybík + Krištof’s approach to the project. Leaving those foundations intact below ground, the architects poured new ones for their building but followed the footprint of the old structure. They also alluded to the old roof in the angle of theirs, while changing the shape from a gable to a single slope. The simple form of the new, one-story building defers to its larger neighbors, while its glass-and-steel material palette sets it apart from the historic fabric of the monastery all around it. “Context is key to all our work,” says Ondřej Chybík, explaining his firm’s respect for the site and what had been there.
You have 0 complimentary articles remaining.
Unlimited access + premium benefits for as low as $1.99/month.