Janošík Headquarters and Showroom by Jakub Janošík: A Dialogue Between Architecture, Craft, and Landscape

A New Architectural Identity Beneath the White Carpathians

Nestled at the edge of the White Carpathians in Valašské Příkazy, Czechia, the Janošík Headquarters and Showroom by architect Jakub Janošík redefines the relationship between architecture and the landscape it inhabits. Emerging from the adaptive reuse of a 1950s cooperative grain warehouse, the 2,100-square-meter project transforms an enclosed, utilitarian structure into an open, light-filled space that connects seamlessly with the surrounding meadows and distant hills.

The project embodies the brand’s philosophy: quality windows and doors not only frame views but also shape light, atmosphere, and the emotional experience of space. Fittingly named “Spoj” (The Link), the building acts as a threshold—between past and present, between nature and culture, and between craftsmanship and contemporary design.

Architecture of Connection and Transformation

At its core, the Janošík Headquarters is an architecture of connection. Two distinct volumes—an original gabled hall and a new concrete extension—interlock in dialogue. The hall, once sealed off by fences and walls, has been opened both symbolically and physically to the landscape. The exterior’s black-painted larch cladding gives the building a grounded, monolithic presence, while the new concrete “embrace” pulls the meadow directly into the architecture, creating terraces and loggias that dissolve the boundary between indoor and outdoor space.

From one side, the building reads as a dark, monumental form; from the other, it opens horizontally into the terrain, reflecting the natural slope of the landscape. This duality—heaviness and lightness, solidity and transparency—captures the architectural intent: to create a space that feels both grounded and free.

Windows as Medium and Metaphor

Windows are not just building components here; they are the very essence of the design. The showroom is interwoven with diverse window and door prototypes, showcasing Janošík’s innovation and artistry. Large-format sliding glass walls, electromagnetic floating windows, and brass- or corten-clad doors become both architectural experiments and poetic gestures.

One of the most striking features is a 9 × 3.2-meter window on the main façade—an immense, transparent frame revealing the interior’s activity while transforming the building into a living exhibit of its own craft. Conversely, a smaller picturesque window on the opposite façade balances this grandeur with intimacy, celebrating variety in scale and proportion.

Sustainable Reconstruction and Energy Efficiency

Rather than demolish the existing hall, the architects opted for adaptive reuse, integrating sustainability into every design decision. By retaining the original structure and insulating it externally, the project reduces material waste and energy demand.

Passive design strategies—south-facing glazing for winter heating, roof overhangs and loggias for summer shading, and underfloor cooling for thermal comfort—eliminate the need for traditional air conditioning. Solar panels, flush with the black roof surface, blend seamlessly with the architecture while providing renewable energy. The result is a low-impact, energy-efficient headquarters that harmonizes with its environment.

Material Palette: Dialogue Between Roughness and Refinement

Materiality plays a crucial role in shaping both atmosphere and identity. The façade’s black-stained larch celebrates natural texture, while the layered, sandstone-tinted concrete evokes geological formations rather than industrial surfaces. Inside, a serene palette of white, bleached spruce, natural oak, and grey concrete creates a calm, gallery-like environment that highlights the surrounding landscape as a living artwork.

This restrained approach echoes traditional Wallachian architecture, where craft, honesty, and connection to nature define both form and material.

Interior: A Spatial Continuum of Work and Reflection

The interior layout balances openness with intimacy. A central corridor organizes the plan, while offices and meeting rooms line the perimeter for privacy. In contrast, the central space unfolds like a communal courtyard—fluid, light-filled, and directly connected to the garden through sliding glass walls.

Custom-designed furniture, crafted in Janošík’s own workshop, emphasizes artisanal quality. Wooden tables, metal details, and bespoke shelving merge seamlessly with the architecture, while select pieces from TON, Audo, and LD Seating integrate modern craftsmanship. The minimalist approach eliminates ornamentation, allowing light, shadow, proportion, and rhythm to define spatial character.

Art, Craft, and Landscape Intertwined

Artistic interventions further deepen the building’s dialogue with nature and culture.

• Hills by Maxim Velčovský: A monumental wooden staircase, carved from forty cubic meters of pine, symbolizes the undulating Carpathian hills. Serving as both sculpture and seating, it celebrates craftsmanship and collective gathering.
• Through Landscape by Lukáš Musil (Musa): A series of fifteen site-specific paintings explore humanity’s spiritual dialogue with nature, fusing gesture, pigment, and emotion.
• Holt by DECHEM Studio: A collection of handblown glass lamps and vases, each unique in texture, translate the raw honesty of materials into light.

These interventions transform the showroom into a multisensory environment—part workplace, part gallery, part reflection of the landscape’s soul.

The Garden: Extending the Meadow

The surrounding garden design continues the natural rhythm of the site. Native species—oaks, firs, birches, lindens, and a meadow orchard of apple, plum, and cherry trees—reintegrate the building into its regional ecosystem. Low pines, wild strawberries, dog roses, and hawthorns soften the concrete edges, ensuring the architecture remains part of the living terrain rather than standing apart from it.

Architecture as a Cultural Bridge

The Janošík Headquarters and Showroom is far more than a corporate building—it is a cultural and environmental manifesto. By merging adaptive reuse, craftsmanship, and landscape integration, Jakub Janošík demonstrates how architecture can embody the values of the products it displays: clarity, precision, and connection.

This is a project where windows no longer simply frame a view—they invite the landscape in, blurring the boundary between nature and human creation, and reminding us that good architecture, like good craftsmanship, begins with respect for place.

All photographs are works of  Filip Beránek