The Julius Hotel Residence in Prague
Manufaktur, berker and a historical location – the perfect combination.
Manufaktur, berker and a historical location – the perfect combination
Prague rightly maintains its reputation as a historical gem on the list of almost every contemporary traveller. And in the form of The Julius Residence, newly opened in the city centre on Senovážné Square, it now has a whole new concept of the modern hotel and apartment accommodation for visitors to enjoy. The combination of this great location, historic building, thoughtful design concept, and all the latest technology, will add another experience to the modern nomad's wanderings in this famous city.
A little history
The building of the residence has a rich history - the Neo-Renaissance house "At the White Horse" was built between 1891 and 1892 according to a design by architect Josef Blecha. The house underwent the most extensive modifications in 1921-1923 under the architect Max Spielmann. Following expansions and renovations up to the 1990’s when the building underwent another major reconstruction, during which almost all historically valuable elements were removed. Only the Neo-Renaissance façade facing the street is now subject to monument protection.
A new era
A new beginning for the building began with the transition to the ownership structure of the Austrian family company Julius Meinl. "We created The Julius because we identified an imaginary hole in the accommodation market for the modern traveller.
We are delighted to be the first to offer this type of first-class accommodation in Prague," says Julius Meinl VI, adding: "The Julius is an apartment-style residence offering the feeling of a home in the middle of a big city." It represents a new concept of short- to long-term residential design housing that emphasizes the uniqueness and uniqueness of the location, respecting the traditions and history of the city.
The designers choose berker - by Manufaktur
World-renowned team of architects Italian designer Matteo Thun & Partners from Milan, who worked with his team to design the interiors, explains, "House of Julius Meinl is one of Austria's most famous brands with a history dating back to 1862. We have been working with Julius Meinl on similar projects for 15 years." Matteo Thun says: "It was only our in-depth knowledge of family traditions and history that helped us create the entire brand The Julius, for which the link between tradition and contemporary lifestyle is central. We wanted to transform a historic palace in Prague into a temporary home for our guests."
The interiors of the Julius residence were designed down to the last detail. At the same time, all the furnishings serve one purpose: combining luxury and modern design with technology to enhance the comfort, convenience and satisfaction of its guests. One of the stones in the mosaic that fulfils these requirements are the switches, sockets and other electrical controls. The choice fell on the round, modern-looking berker R.classic switches from Hager.
"These robust switches do not hide their inspiration in the iconic classic rotary switches of the Bauhaus school, but take their look into the third millennium."
Thomas Grund
Managing Director of Hager Czech Republic
Sublime berker customisations
The switches with a bronze feel had to be added to the overall interior design. A perfect match for our custom-made production program at Hager Manufaktur," adds Thomas Grund and continues: "Thanks to our close cooperation with the Prague concept store MONOBRAND located in Karlín, we have met even the most demanding customer requirements. For the interior of the Julius residence, however, the choice did not fall on any of the standard colours in which the berker R.classic switches are produced."
"We had to invent and mix a special shade of switch colour that would reflect the design team's requirements for the overall interior design. So we went through several rounds of design and colour accent adjustments and selected from a range of samples before finally achieving the desired look," explains Thomas Grund of the process of developing the custom switches. The resulting look features not only switches and power sockets in the interior of The Julius, but also all the other electrical elements of modern wiring, including, for example, blind switches or USB sockets for convenient mobile phone charging.
"Working together on The Julius Project was more than just a business case for us. Because, like the House of Julius Meinl, Hager is a family business, still owned and run by descendants of the founding fathers. The philosophies of our companies are close to each other: respect for tradition, a sense of responsibility towards future generations and a strong customer orientation, because you are de facto responsible for the services you provide," reflects Thomas Grund.
A perfectly blended cocktail of architecture, thoughtful design, modern technology, sustainability and attention to detail promises an unforgettable experience for everyone who crosses the threshold of The Julius Residence.
Project: The Julius Hotel Residence
Location: Czech Republic, Prague
Products and solutions: Berker R classic Serie by Manufaktur,
External Partners: Monobrand, the julius, Julius Meinl Living
Interior Design: Matteo Thun & Partners
