Clementine House by Architéka and Lucie Němcová transforms Pension Clementine, a riverside guesthouse in Český Krumlov, into a place of rest with a quiet, inward focus. Set on the banks of the Vltava River, the project keeps the calm of the site as its main spatial quality. The renovation preserves authentic parts of the former late 18th-century farm building, including exposed beams and stone walls.
HOSPITALITY
The building now works as a retreat where each apartment maintains a direct connection with its surroundings. Views open toward the river and across the terraces of the newly arranged garden, which includes a swimming pool.
Investor Anna Gášpárová wanted to create a place in Český Krumlov where she would enjoy spending time herself. She imagined an interior with quality, intimacy, and art. After she and her husband acquired the guesthouse in 2019, she invited architects Lucie Němcová and Tereza Komárková to lead the full renovation.
The project brings historical fragments and new interventions into a clear spatial order. The architects created a restrained foundation for future artworks and for daily life inside the house. Their additions use simple forms and generous execution, giving the rooms a clean base without removing the character of the original structure.
The first floor contains two spacious apartments overlooking the river and garden. Bespoke large-format sliding panels allow the layouts to change, while original paintings by Patrik Hábl turn the dividers into major artistic elements. From the shared hall, a sculptural staircase leads to the attic, where three more rooms occupy the upper level. These rooms open into the roof structure, while wall reproductions echo motifs from Hábl’s paintings. The ground floor remains reserved for the investor’s private residence.
Natural stone, wood surfaces, and hand-applied cement finishes create a grounded palette. Custom joinery and metalwork add precision, while loose furniture combines restored antiques with pieces by Czech and Slovak designers and local manufacturers.
One of the main architectural changes involved the circulation. The team replaced the original external staircase with an internal connection, allowing movement through the house to feel more natural. A dark blue steel staircase now winds from the ground floor to the attic, linking the levels into one continuous sequence.
The renovation keeps the weight and character of the stone house while giving it a more open structure. Bathrooms receive the same level of care as the main living spaces. In several rooms, bathtubs extend directly into the bedroom areas, turning bathing into a private ritual and strengthening the intimate atmosphere of the apartments.
Studio: Architéka, Lucie Němcová
Author: Tereza Komárková (Architéka), Lucie Němcová
Design team: Tereza Černá (collaboration), Stanislav Heidler, Blanka Heidlerová (project documentation)
Project location: Po Vodě 106, Český Krumlov, Czech Republic
Project year: 2020-2022
Completion year: 2026
Built-up area: 140 m²
Gross floor area: 490 m²
Usable floor area: 320 m²
Plot size: 655 m²
Cost: 1M €
Client: Anna Gášpárová, Gergely Gášpár
Photographer: Václav Novák
Collaborators and suppliers
Original artistic wall paintings: Patrik Hábl
Wayfinding: Brandmark.
Sticker graphics, wallpapers (implementatio): FUGU
General contractor: Vidox
Atypical steel staircase: Petr Hampl
Cement plasters: BOCA
Wooden floors & tiles: Havwoods
Custom furniture: HOMER Concept & Interiors
Stone slabs: Adriatik Stone
Locksmith elements: Bers Metal
Atypical concrete slabs for bathtubs: ŠVEC Beton
Lighting supplier: LightWorks
Decorative chandeliers: Studio IHOR
Furniture supplier: Momenti, Alax, Bonami
Restoration of antique furniture: Tereza Korbelová (sto•re)
