The third phase of modernization of the interiors of the PALLADIUM shopping center in Prague included modifications and modernization of the second above-ground floor reserved for gastronomy. The aim of the modernization was to make the existing premises more attractive for the new design and technical requirements nowadays for catering within shopping centers. Obermeyer Helika provided the documentation for the construction and the author’s supervision of the project.
In its first two phases, the modernization of the PALLADIUM shopping center focused on expanding the floor area in the atrium, modernizing the entrances, replacing the information navigation system and replacing the light sources with LED sources. A modern infopoint was set up on the first floor, and two new shopping units were built in the basement. All work took place in full operation.
The third stage focused on the second floor, the top floor of the shopping center, where the restaurant and cafe units are located. The capacity of this food court does not change with the reconstruction, but the architectural concept of the entire floor, which the investor opened under the “Tasty Garden” brand, underwent a fundamental change. The conceptual architect of the design is the German office Riethmüller, Architecture, Design, Consulting and the local architect is the Prague office In.Point. The investor was Palladium Praha and the contractor was Hinton.
In the public areas, the floor coverings were replaced, the ceiling structures of modern organic shapes were installed and new light sources were installed, ”informs Josef Kříž, project manager from Obermeyer Helika. “The entrance gate of the main escalator has also undergone changes, which will impress with its unmissable light effects,” adds Josef Kříž. The existing lighting was completely replaced by luminaires with energy-saving LED sources. The hanging decorative ceiling panels of organic shape, formed by acoustic material in three shades of green, became a unifying decorative element. These panels, open in the middle, are equipped with LED indirect lighting and at the same time allow the space to be illuminated by recessed luminaires from the ceiling above them. The new technologies bring more efficient energy management, more efficient interior cooling and other benefits resulting from the modernization of installations and terminal equipment in the public space of the passage.
Inserting slatted ceilings under existing skylights, in addition to decorative ones, also fulfills a practical function. It creates a shield that reduces the amount of sunlight falling on the heads of eating customers. For the same reason, shielding in the form of slats in the wood pattern is also designed around the perimeter of the central skylight. The slats are also installed in the western skylight and the skylight of the so-called central seating of the food court. The new pixel re-design of the escalator tunnel is interesting. The new LED technology enables remote color control of the elevator’s glass cladding.
