In the seventeenth issue of the digest, Projects of the Week presents six examples of how constraints inspire architectural solutions: a bookstore is built into grain silo ruins, an old farmhouse is adapted for multi-generational living, a courtyard on a narrow Kyoto plot is arranged vertically, and a running track is placed on the roof of a hockey arena.
The 5,650-seat arena became the new home of the local hockey club but also hosts tennis, volleyball, concerts, and other events. The red zigzag facade references both the city’s heraldry and the hedgehog — Jihlava’s symbol. A 230-metre public running track runs along the roof, with new public routes and squares around the building, so the complex operates independently of matches.
The 250-metre Olympic-standard track was raised one floor above ground, freeing up the space below for courts, fitness zones, and public areas. The complex is connected to the adjacent Peter Hemingway Aquatic Centre — together they form a year-round sports centre for cycling, running, and swimming.
An old farmhouse was converted into a country home for multiple generations of one family. Existing buildings were preserved as much as possible and allocated to bedrooms, bathrooms, and other rooms. A new shared volume with arched brick facades was built between them — its centre is the kitchen, surrounded by spaces for communal dining and relaxation.
A 670 m² bookstore was placed between two abandoned rammed-earth grain silos. The old roofs were removed, while the walls were reinforced and painted gold, referencing Huize’s past as the "copper capital". Inside, an independent compressed bamboo frame was erected to carry the building’s main load. A terrace garden between the volumes serves as a public space for village residents.
A house and studio for a couple of ceramic artists was built on a narrow, deep plot — typical of Kyoto’s machiya, or "eel beds". The architects transformed traditional courtyards and passageways into a vertical system of glass spaces connecting the ground-floor studio with living areas on upper levels.
The Freitag flagship store was assembled in 2006 from 19 decommissioned shipping containers, nine of which form a vertical tower that has become a city landmark over time. Over twenty years, the structure has been updated several times, with solar panels and a Repair Studio added, but the main principle remains the same: to give used materials a new function.