Silver House, Jihlava (CZ)

Architect: Marek Jan Štěpán
Text: György Szegő
Photos: Filip Šlapal

At the heart of Jihlava, one of the Czech Republic’s finest Renaissance burger houses has been reawakened. The Silver House – a landmark of architectural heritage – has undergone a meticulous transformation that re-establishes its spatial rhythm while introducing a refined palette of silver tones, stainless steel, and natural materials. The new program – ranging from archaeological displays and a teahouse to a concert hall and a center for documentary film – is as layered as the house’s history itself. The name “Silver House” references the town’s 13th-century minting legacy and the archaeological finds uncovered during construction. Inside, a careful balance of reverence and reinvention unfolds – from the silvery acoustics of the concert space to the bare masonry elevator shaft revealing centuries of building history. A new courtyard wing of blackened concrete and stainless mesh completes the ensemble, gently detaching service spaces from the historic mass while asserting its own poetic presence. The result is an urban palimpsest – rigorously detailed, atmospherically rich, and quietly monumental.

Architect: Marek Jan Štěpán – Atelier Štěpán
Fellow architects: Miroslava Staneková, Hana Arletová, Vanda Štěpánová, Jiří Neubert, Lukáš Kružík, Jan Vodička
Painted graphics: Viktorie Štěpánová
Painting of the music hall: Václav Kočí
Restoration painting: Pavel Procházka
Main contractor: Pozemní stavby Jihlava
Client: Municipality of Jihlava