Scholarly record

RESTORING THE QUALITY OF THE COMMON INTERIOR SPACES OF THE AVION APARTMENT COMPLEX

P. Daniel, A. Toth

Abstract

The paper shows research through a case study of interior design of the functionalist, residential complex Avion, built in 1932, which has been paid only marginal attention in previous works. Due to its exceptional architecture, the building was already part of the cultural heritage of the then Czechoslovakia in 1985, and in 2011 it was declared a building of a century in the category of residential buildings in Slovakia. Almost a 90-year-old Avion performs its original function without interruption and is still a desirable place to live. The paper deals with common entrance areas from the entrance door, through the entrance hall, vertical communications (elevator, staircase) to the entrance door of individual apartments. It is dedicated to the proportions of space and features, original materiality and colour, while looking for an optimal solution for future restoration of these spaces. In the past, these parts were interfered with changes in standards, infrastructure obsolescence, or maintenance simplification. Unfortunately, these insensitive adjustments are repeated today, often without architect's supervision. Previous interventions have been assessed as inappropriate and the restoration proposal will be closer to the original solution at the time of construction, while respecting current standards. Today, the most modified element is the elevator portal and lift cabin, which were originally wooden. Previously, a generous solution - a glazed elevator cabin and an oak veneered coffered wooden portal is now replaced with standard steel doors with a window with utilitarian lift shaft closure. The research was carried out by collecting material in archives, searching for published period photographs, studying original project documentation, focusing on preserved parts of the building interior, questionnaire surveys of residents, interviews with memorials, as well as analysing the Czechoslovak film "Death Comes in the Rain", which takes place partly in the elevator and on the Avion staircase. Residential Interior Research follows the multidisciplinary research project APVV “IDENTITY” - a common platform of design, architecture and social sciences" solved at the Institute of Interior and Exhibition, Faculty of Architecture of the Slovak Technological University in Bratislava.

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