Outside Prague, the Sugar Factory, a mixed-used residential development with public space, marks the largest project to use the sustainable material Rebetong. Invented by Skanska, Rebetong comprises completely recycled concrete and/or masonry, instead of natural aggregates. With Rebetong, buildings can be constructed from other buildings at the end of their lives, forming a circular economy. The Sugar Factory is also the first project to use Rebetong for its façade.
The architecture and urban design practice CHYBIK + KRISTOF, in collaboration with Skanska, recently unveiled the Sugar Factory, located on a former sugar factory site. At 58,000 square meters (about 625,000 square feet), the project includes seven blocks with 790 apartments. It also features over 6,600 square meters (71,000 square feet) of public space, including a multifunctional hall, brewery, coffee house, kindergarten, and boat club. The project is scheduled for completion in 2030.
Following intensive research and experimentation with different sizes, shapes, and densities, the Rebetong material used for this project has been made from leftover bricks, reflecting the site’s industrial character. So that Rebetong can serve as a fully visual reminder of the area’s history, CHK proposed using the material not only for structural purposes, but also as an exposed façade. The project also preserves the sugar factory chimney, built in 1927, so it can serve as a historic landmark and symbol.
“Appreciated for its historic significance and ability to fit into the existing landscape, Rebetong acts as a functional and emotional connection to the collective memory of the area, adding value to the local culture and community, while being a sustainably elegant solution,” a press statement said.
On the Building Team:
Owner and/or developer: SKANSKA Reality
Design architect: CHYBIK + KRISTOF
Engineer of record: Tomáš Chren, AED
MEP engineer: ExPlan
Structural engineer: Recoc
General contractor/construction manager: Skanska
Related Stories
Mixed-Use | Jun 12, 2023
Goettsch Partners completes its largest China project to date: a mixed-used, five-tower complex
Chicago-based global architecture firm Goettsch Partners (GP) recently announced the completion of its largest project in China to date: the China Resources Qianhai Center, a mixed-use complex in the Qianhai district of Shenzhen. Developed by CR Land, the project includes five towers totaling almost 472,000 square meters (4.6 million sf).
Architects | Jun 6, 2023
Taking storytelling to a new level in building design, with Gensler's Bob Weis and Andy Cohen
Bob Weis, formerly the head of Disney Imagineering, was recently hired by Gensler as its Global Immersive Experience Design Leader. He joins the firm's co-CEO Andy Cohen to discuss how Gensler will focus on storytelling to connect people to its projects.
Mixed-Use | Jun 6, 2023
Public-private partnerships crucial to central business district revitalization
Central Business Districts are under pressure to keep themselves relevant as they face competition from new, vibrant mixed-use neighborhoods emerging across the world’s largest cities.
Urban Planning | Jun 2, 2023
Designing a pedestrian-focused city in downtown Phoenix
What makes a city walkable? Shepley Bulfinch's Omar Bailey, AIA, LEED AP, NOMA, believes pedestrian focused cities benefit most when they're not only easy to navigate, but also create spaces where people can live, work, and play.
Mixed-Use | Jun 1, 2023
The Moore Building, a 16-story office and retail development, opens in Nashville’s Music Row district
Named after Elvis Presley’s onetime guitarist, The Moore Building, a 16-story office building with ground-floor retail space, has opened in Nashville’s Music Row district. Developed by Portman and Creed Investment Company and designed by Gresham Smith, The Moore Building offers 236,000 sf of office space and 8,500 sf of ground-floor retail.
| Apr 28, 2023
$1 billion mixed-use multifamily development will add 1,200 units to South Florida market
A giant $1 billion residential project, The District in Davie, will bring 1.6 million sf of new Class A residential apartments to the hot South Florida market. Located near Ft. Lauderdale and greater Miami, the development will include 36,000 sf of restaurants and retail space. The development will also provide 1.1 million sf of access controlled onsite parking with 2,650 parking spaces.
Mixed-Use | Apr 27, 2023
New Jersey turns a brownfield site into Steel Tech, a 3.3-acre mixed-use development
In Jersey City, N.J., a 3.3-acre redevelopment project called Steel Tech will turn a brownfield site into a mixed-use residential high-rise building, a community center, two public plazas, and a business incubator facility. Steel Tech received site plan approval in recent weeks.
Green | Apr 21, 2023
Top 10 green building projects for 2023
The Harvard University Science and Engineering Complex in Boston and the Westwood Hills Nature Center in St. Louis are among the AIA COTE Top Ten Awards honorees for 2023.
Urban Planning | Apr 17, 2023
The future of the 20-minute city
Gensler's Stacey Olson breaks down the pros and cons of the "20-minute city," from equity concerns to data-driven design.
Multifamily Housing | Apr 17, 2023
World's largest multifamily building pursuing ILFI Zero Carbon certification under construction in Washington, D.C.
The Douglass, in Washington, D.C.’s Ward 8, is currently the largest multifamily housing project to pursue Zero Carbon Certification from the International Living Future Institute (ILFI).
