When the Czech railways sold a dilapidated 19th-century warehouse to the town of Řevnice in Czech Republic, in 2010, a local art school’s headmistress discovered its hidden potential of becoming a gathering space. Sodomka Sodomková Architekti, a local Czech architecture practice specialising in wood construction, reconstructed the building and enlivened its surroundings into a sociocultural hub, adding new structures made from reused ship containers to preserve the shack’s original footprint. Since its completion in 2024, Drevak has hosted a variety of events—from exhibitions and concerts to flea markets and weddings—transforming a forgotten wooden shack into a small community centre, now known as sklad_13, loved by the locals and maintained by the art school.

Located near the town's railway station, in proximity to a bus station and a car park, Drevak is popular among the locals as a public space. With the railway track on its North and the railway parking lot on its South, the building is equipped with wooden ramps and a stone ramp for ease of access. The building’s frontage sports a continuous bench that runs along its length, also acting as a stepping platform.

The Czech architects preserve the original character of the wood architecture by reconstructing the single-section structure using spruce wood, featuring a gabled roof and overhangs. The interior design interventions are minimal and rustic, aligning with the pared-back architectural language of the building. A shipping container identifies the entrance, acting as a small transitional threshold between the closed and the open space. A small bar and a mezzanine floor double as essential spaces for utility and storage, turning into service areas during an event. The open, uninterrupted space features a curved steel fireplace seemingly appearing as a sculptural artefact, leaving room for multipurpose activities and seamless thermal comfort.

A cluster of small volumes—accommodating areas such as an entrance lobby, a kitchenette, a toilet and a library—along with the primary building, make up the built environment of Drevak, taking up a total floor area of 246 sq m on a site of 10,750 sq m. The green-coloured container on the south is used as a kitchenette, featuring an openable window that faces the parking lot for convenient exchange of goods. Its sizeable counterpart stationed at the back of the building accommodates a library, which also acts as a study and storage space, with an attached toilet. The lavatory is located on the east of the site and is easily accessible for people who are visiting the railway station and the community centre.

While the shipping container architecture visually stands out from the wooden facade of the building, it shows a resemblance to the cargo train cars that often pass by the station, hinting towards a sense of belonging in the context. The architects installed windows within the shell, rounding them off at the edges, taking inspiration from the windows of a train car. Finished in green, yellow and blue, the containers feature trapezoidal sheet metal exteriors, while their interiors are insulated and lined with pine plywood. The architects used various readily available materials for detailing the spaces while adhering to the design language. Walkways made of foam grid lead into the containers that are lined with linoleum flooring on the inside, integrating perforated stainless metal accessories and corrugated fibreglass lampshades.

The rustic charm of the main building remains in contrast with the industrial aesthetic of the metal shipping containers, showing the architects’ and the community’s appreciation for its history while it receives a new identity. Apart from the events, the space is also used for small communal gatherings such as neighbourhood meetings and discussions, which underlines the importance of such hybrid public spaces, especially in small towns, to promote communal harmony.

Project Details

Name: Drevak
Location: Pod Lipami 265, 252 30 Řevnice, Czech Republic
Client: City of Řevnice
Architects: Sodomka Sodomková Architekti
Built-up area: 230 sq m
Gross floor area: 246 sq m
Site area: 10,750 sq m
Year of Completion: 2024