Továrna Hydroxygen Administrative building

Welcome to the Prague part Hlubočepy. Please stop for a moment, take a breath and focus fully on the space that is surrounding you right now. You are standing in front of a building that is a silent but proud witness to the transformation of our city and industrial development of the entire region. In front of you is the administrative building of the former Hydroxygen factory. The first impression of this place is often very specific. You can feel the connection between the strict order of industrial architecture and the calm of today's surroundings. Feel the shapes and atmosphere that carry you to a time when this area was a vibrant center of technological progress.

Let us now return together in time several decades back to the year one thousand nine hundred thirty. It was this year that this building was built. It was a time of great change and technological rise. The architect F. A. Libra, who was the author of this project, had the task of creating a space that was not just a practical place for work, but also represented a modern approach to industrial construction. The whole complex was built for a very specific purpose, and this was the production of welding gas. Imagine how important this activity was to the industry at the time. The welding was the basis of the construction of machinery, bridges and other technical works, and thus this building became the administrative heart of the company that supplied the necessary raw materials for the development of the modern world.

I now ask you to pay full attention to the architecture of the building itself. Look up and note the details that carry the idea of utility and purity. Together with architect Libra, Karel Pelíšek worked on this work. If you look closely at the top of the building, you will see one of the most significant elements that essentially defines the whole character of this object. Notice the oblique glass roof. It is this detail that is absolutely typical of the functional industrial solution of the time. This roof was not designed for decoration only. Its main function was to allow as much natural light as possible into the inner space. At a time when the lighting was not as efficient as it is today, the glass roof was a brilliant way to ensure a healthy and productive working environment for people who spent their days here. Look at the roof line and see how harmonically it fits into the overall appearance of the administration building.

When we think about the people who were connected to this place, we have to realize that this building was a meeting place for two different worlds. On the one hand, there were engineers and technicians who oversaw the complex processes of gas production, and on the other hand administrative staff who managed the entire business. Although today we may not know the names of all the particular people who walked in these corridors, their presence is still felt in these walls. This building served as the brain of the entire complex. This was where production was planned, here business contracts were dealt with and here the whole business was decided on. It is fascinating to think how many important papers have been signed here and how many technical challenges have been solved in these areas.

Now we move on to the moment that decided that this building is still standing and in such good condition today. In the year one thousand nine hundred eighty-nine, there was a fundamental recognition of the value of this place. Továrna Hydroxygen was registered as a cultural monument of the Czech Republic. This was a crucial moment because it recognised its architectural and historical significance. The building was no longer seen as an old factory object, but as a valuable piece of our heritage that deserves protection for future generations.

But the story of this building does not end here. After a year of a thousand and nine hundred ninety-nine, there was another great transformation, which is basically a story about a new life. The building was adapted to modern offices. This process of transformation was led by architects František Prajer and Karel Hron. Imagine the contrast the building now carries. Today, modern administrative issues are being addressed instead of plans for the production of welding gas. This change in function is an example of how old industrial spaces can be breathed into new life without losing their original identity. Thanks to the sensitive approach of the architects Prajer and Hron, the most valuable elements, such as the mentioned glass roof, have been preserved and the building has become fully functional for the needs of today.

Note also the position you are currently in. The building is located near the former Praha-Hlubočepy station. That was not a coincidence, but a carefully thought-out strategic choice. In the industrial era, transport was a key factor in success. The proximity of the railway enabled fast and efficient transport of raw materials to the factory and, consequently, the delivery of finished products to all corners of the country. The railway was an artery that fed the industry, and this building was built to benefit the most from this position. Today, when you imagine the noise of locomotives and the movement of freight wagons, you get a better idea of how dynamic and noisy this place used to be.

I hope this short trip to history helped you see the office building of the Hydroxygen factory in a new light. It is not just an ordinary building made of concrete and glass, but a living testimony of human efforts, technical progress and the ability to adapt to new times. It's a place where the function of a thousand nine hundred thirty-nine meets the modern needs of today.

I now consider you free. I ask you to look at the building from different angles, look again at the pitched roof and try to imagine the contrast between the silence of today's Deep Chep and the noise of the industrial complex from the last century. Take a look around, see the space and be inspired by the courage of the architects who at the time formed the new faces of our city. Thank you for your attention and I wish you a pleasant and exciting continuation in your exploration of beautiful corners of Prague. Goodbye.