Zvonica House / Gmb.

Architects: gmb.
Area: 115 m²
Year: 2022
Photographs: Marián Gombarček
Manufacturers: AXOR, Hansgrohe, Artemide, Axor, HAY, Helio, Javorina, Villeroy & Boch, VitrA
Steel Constructions: Kon-tech
Products Used in This Project: Bathroom Collection – AXOR Starck Organic by AXOR
Category: Houses, Refurbishment
Architect: Marián Gombarček
Woodwork: Vidowood
City: Bratislava
Country: Slovakia

Zvonica House residential project designed by gmb. in Slovakia has transformed a 1950s Slovak square-shaped house into a contemporary living environment while preserving its exterior. The intervention focuses on reorganizing the interior for a multi-member family, removing non-conceptual additions and revealing original brick walls and wooden beam ceilings. The design introduces new functional elements and volumes that contrast with the exposed structure, using oak and steel as primary materials. A colored steel staircase forms the spatial core, with inserted elements that connect, cross, or disrupt the existing zones. The original entrance remains, now separated from the living area by a mirrored wardrobe that reflects southern light into the kitchen. A new bedroom volume on the upper floor overlooks the gallery, reinforcing spatial interaction within the house.

Zvonica House is a reconstruction of a typical Slovak square-shaped residence from the 1950s. Over time, the original structure underwent multiple renovations, including several non-conceptual additions. The objective of the current intervention was to clarify the interior layout, establish new spatial and functional relationships, and create an environment that meets the diverse needs of a young, multi-member family. At the request of the client, the exterior of the house remained largely unchanged, with the design focusing primarily on reconfiguring the interior spaces.

The design concept is grounded in the contrast between the original exposed structural elements of the building and the arrangement of newly inserted furniture volumes and other components. These new elements enter the space in varied forms, connecting it in multiple ways, crossing through it, and at times disregarding or even disrupting its original zoning. As a result, the space unfolds in several directions, generating new interactions and pathways for communication.

During the reconstruction process, the original building and its structural elements were cleared of prior non-essential additions and alterations. Brick walls and wooden beam ceilings were uncovered, and the simplicity of the exposed materiality allowed the spatial arrangement of the newly inserted forms to become more prominent. The material palette remains straightforward, primarily using oak and steel. A central volume—a steel staircase highlighted with a distinctive color—naturally emerges as a focal point within the interior.

The entrance remains in its original location. It is separated from the living area by a wardrobe unit with a mirrored surface, which not only divides the background spaces from the main living area but also reflects southern light into the kitchen. The entire living space follows a circular layout, organized around the central staircase and the kitchen, which opens toward the gallery. As a result, the kitchen becomes a connecting element that links the surrounding spaces both horizontally and vertically. On the first floor, a newly created volume containing bedrooms overlooks the gallery through a window, reinforcing the visual and spatial connection between levels.