How Direct's Brno headquarters came about - and won Office of the Year 2026

Half of the floor was new build, an empty floor plan. The other half was space left behind by previous tenants, where the budget called for as few layout changes as possible. But both halves shared one brief: fit in the maximum number of workstations, plus a large number of meeting rooms in various sizes.

What was meant to be the centre of the whole layout?

A community space able to hold a larger group of people for company-wide events, presentations and gatherings. At the same time it was important that it wouldn't be used just a few times a year, but that it would be fully used every day for the everyday needs of employees.

Is that why you chose the LIKO-Space sliding wall instead of a fixed solution?

Setting aside a separate hall for just a few events a year would have been highly uneconomical for the client. On top of that, a space like that would take up a significant part of the layout, which we would then have been missing for daily operations. So I went for a solution where the space is primarily designed for the everyday needs of employees - meeting over lunch breaks, short stand-ups and longer training sessions. It was the acoustic sliding wall that allowed the space to work either as one large whole, or as two separate zones.

How does the space change when the wall is closed?

I'd say the wall is open most of the time. The space then feels airier and natural light comes in from two sides. Early in the morning the sun reaches in, the walls take on yellow tones and the interplay of light and shadow turns the atmosphere almost into a holiday one. At least until the first employees start arriving.

The moment the wall closes, two separate spaces appear, slightly more intimate but still generous. What I enjoy most about it is the acoustics. When you find yourself in the lecture room, the wall effectively absorbs the noise from the surrounding space and you naturally focus only on what's happening inside

"Your attention is suddenly drawn to the large window, the lush greenery on the sill and the quality sound. You feel as if you're in a completely different world."

The material palette is corporate green, terracotta, wood and plenty of plants. How do the glass partitions fit in?

The most important thing for me was to bring as much natural light as possible into a fairly deep floor plan. In certain parts I created two separate parallel circulation corridors, and the space between them I gave over to meeting rooms, a kitchenette and a copier zone. Glass partitions played a major role there. Thanks to their horizontal and vertical divisions they helped break up the length of the corridors and give the space rhythm. Their look is faintly reminiscent of Japanese screens, which supported the eclectic atmosphere of the interior. I chose the frames in RAL 1035, a pearl beige. The sliding wall material is then in the same wood decor as the main furniture elements, so that all the larger surfaces are visually unified.

Noise in the open space was noticeably reduced. How?

Mainly through the right choice of materials and by breaking large areas into smaller units. These are separated for instance by furniture walls with added acoustic elements. Those also serve a visual function - thanks to them you don't feel like you're sitting in a through corridor at your desk. At the same time I wanted to keep the more industrial character of the ceilings, both to optimise costs and to preserve the authentic character of the building.

Part of that was reusing the original acoustic ceiling panels. What led you to that?

One reason was of course saving part of the client's budget, but the principle of a second chance mattered just as much to me. That is, working with what already exists in the space and giving it new value. I then played with the panels as if it were a separate design chapter. Three shades of green repeat in a random rhythm and we hung the panels in a light zigzag pattern.

The execution itself was anything but simple. The panels are made of a very light and fragile material so they absorb noise as well as possible, so even taking them down was demanding. The challenge was not to damage them, to respray them in new shades and reinstall them without getting them dirty during installation.

"Reusing existing elements can look simple at first glance. It's only during the process that you realise how much work, coordination and care is behind it."

The design was meant to connect teams and shorten the distances between departments. Did it work?

The feedback reaching me makes me happy. People really do meet more often, for example at one of the four kitchenettes, which also work as easily memorable orientation points, each with its own colour scheme. The community space also invites not only formal company events but informal gatherings too, such as events for employees' children.

Shortening the distances between teams worked mainly thanks to thorough initial analysis. We mapped which departments work closely together and which operate more independently, and we tuned their placement accordingly from the start.

What was the hardest thing to solve?

Designing such an extensive layout, we're talking about almost 3,000 m², so that it suited every team. The design had to meet not only the operational requirements of individual departments, but also health and safety standards regarding space, daylight and overall comfort. And once individual specialists and trades enter the project, you need enough decisiveness to hold on to the original design concept. Holding the whole together is, on projects like this, one of the hardest disciplines.

Is there a detail in the finished interior you like most?

In every project I try to include a moment of surprise. Something that catches your eye, raises a smile or makes you see the space a little differently. One such detail is the fake mirrored column in the flexible room. I designed a black bar table wedged between a real load-bearing concrete column and this fake mirrored one. The mirrored column is interrupted halfway up and fitted with an internal planter with live plants and hidden lighting. Looking into the mirror, you're briefly unsure what's a reflection and what's an actual view through. And I'll admit that the element occasionally throws me off too.

What does winning Office of the Year 2026 mean to you?

I did want to succeed in a competition like this with the Direct design. We even joked with Martina and Gábina from Direct at the briefing stage that we'd win Office of the Year with it. At the time I had no idea it would actually happen. I see it mainly as recognition for honest work. I'm a perfectionist, which in architecture is sometimes more of a curse, because you rarely feel that anything is truly finished. But attention to detail is exactly what makes the difference in the end.