Bořislavka Office and Shopping Centre

A sparkling landmark on the outskirts of Prague

The Bořislavka office and shopping centre brings high-quality modern architecture to the capital of the Czech Republic, with four crystal-shaped buildings rising out of a shared two-storey base whose shape perfectly fits the narrow, irregular site.

This newbuild complex – designed by architects Jan Aulík and Leoš Horák, whose brief required them to leverage the existing topography – features retail shopping, cafés and restaurants, office space and basement parking. The shopping centre (9,000 m2) is in the underground part of the project, while the individual buildings rising from this base provide 26,000 m2 of office space.

Creating crystalline shapes with the required precision was only possible with a structural glass facade. AGC’s Energy 65/42S, combining solar protection with excellent thermal insulation and superb light transmission, was specified for the project, enabling outside observers to take in the complex geometry of the buildings while avoiding, to a large extent, strong reflections and glare from the sun, both of which are undesirable in this urban context. The final design strikes a delicate balance between the right technical solution and an emphasis on natural daylight, even for those workspaces located deeper in the complex.

The complex has been awarded LEED Gold certification.