At the foot of the White Carpathians, a former 1950s grain hall has been transformed into Spoj – The Link – the new headquarters and showroom of Janošík, a family-run company producing windows and doors for contemporary architecture
Valašské Príkazy is a Czech village backdropped by the White Carpathians, a mountain range bordering Slovakia, and has been home to Janošík since 1926. Once a small carpentry shop, today it produces an array of sleek windows, doors and sliding walls that fuse glass and warm jolts of oak, making for fitting additions to contemporary architecture. Yet for some 25 years, the Janošík headquarters was a complete departure from the company’s appealingly minimalist aesthetic, downright undignified, as Jakub Janošík, who leads the company’s artistic direction and design, puts it.
Jakub represents the fifth generation of the family business launched by his great-great grandfather František – his father, Jirí, currently runs it – and he knew it was time to revamp the building, a gabled 1950s hall that once served as a grain warehouse.
Initially, the family was drawn to the building for practical reasons. “It was vacant and we needed space. It was only later that we discovered its treasures – the views of the surrounding hills,” recalls Janošík.
These stunning sightlines are what guided the much-needed renovation, which was completed earlier this year. For Janošík, there is strength and energy in nature that is balanced with “inspiration and peace. It is best when a person feels it.”
Indeed, Janošík’s transformed structure, dubbed Spoj (The Link), instantly anchors staff and visitors in the landscape. Once sealed off from the verdant meadow that lies outside, the building is now complemented by a rugged sandstone-hued concrete volume that pulls it close.
Loggias recessed into the sides of Spoj even allow direct access to the greenery from individual offices, which are lifted five metres above the ground. On the southern end, these blur into a terrace and garden planted with native foliage like fir, birch and linden trees. During the summer, they provide shade, while in the winter they direct the sun inwards, contributing to a sustainable mindset that is reinforced by the roof’s solar panels and newly installed outside insulation.
The most striking intervention is the façade’s black-painted larch cladding, which emphasises the wood’s natural grain. Causing minimal disruption to the terrain was Janošík’s priority, so from the beginning he was keen to preserve as many original elements as possible, including the monumental indoor steel structure and external walls.
Spoj also cleverly functions as a showroom, with products organically woven throughout the space in order to amplify scenic vistas. Consider the window seat with its retracting glass, which makes it possible to read and unwind beside the garden’s flourishing blooms. Windows fittingly adorn each gable end and the largest, measuring 9 x 3.2 metres, dramatically punctuates the front of the building, enticing visitors to glimpse the hub of activity within.
Janošík wanted an uncluttered ambience in Spoj’s interior, “so that the powerful views from the windows would be the main focus and primarily create the atmosphere of the space”, he explains.
Awash in white, the interior is reminiscent of a gallery, accented with earthy materials such as bleached spruce and linden. Bespoke tables and shelves were made in the company’s own workshop, and a central open-plan area that conveniently connects to the outdoors is paired with offices and meeting rooms positioned along the sides to maximise privacy.
To enliven the workspace and bring intrigue to clients perusing, say, pivot doors, Janošík tapped a few fellow Czech talents. In the entrance, for example, is an imposing staircase that doubles as an amphitheatre, courtesy of designer Maxim Velčovský, creative director at legendary glass manufacturer Lasvit.
Crafted from 40 cubic metres of pine, it’s a sculptural nod to the White Carpathians, inviting colleagues to rest and converse as well as ascending to the next level. Hypnotic lines grace the walls in a cycle of 15 paintings by artist Lukáš Musil, and a collection of spherical pendant lights, lamps and vases from Prague-based Dechem Studio showcase glass in another form.
“I have been fascinated by architecture and reflected on it for a long time. Here I had the opportunity to materialise these reflections,” says Janošík. The result is exactly what he envisioned: “Calm and pleasant inside and rough and humble outside.”
Photography by Filip Beránek
This story was originally featured in OnOffice 173, Winter 2025. Discover similar stories by subscribing to our weekly newsletter here
