House Oskar is a Living Sanctuary of Architecture, Art, and Soul in South Bohemia
Some places leave you speechless. Not because they overwhelm you, but because they gently invite you into their world—quietly, sincerely, and with purpose. House Oskar is such a place. It doesn’t shout for attention. It doesn’t rely on spectacle or show. Instead, it whispers stories of heritage, intimacy, beauty, and deep thought.
Tucked away in the peaceful village of Kamenná Lhota in South Bohemia, House Oskar is more than a home. It’s a deeply personal architectural statement by Jan Žaloudek Architekt—a space rooted in family, artistic intention, and reverence for nature and history. And it’s built on a site that already had its own soul. A generous garden once part of a baroque château. Mature trees centuries old. The crumbling remains of a barn. A stone wall traces the land’s memory. You don’t just build on such land—you enter into conversation with it. Žaloudek understood this. He listened. And what he created is both timeless and timely.
So what makes House Oskar so extraordinary? What lessons can be drawn from it—for architecture, for art, for living with more intention? And why has this quietly poetic home become a topic of growing fascination in design circles and beyond? Let’s explore.
House Oskar Is an Architecture of Contemplation and Creative Living
Built by architect Jan Žaloudek for himself, his wife, art historian and writer Jolanta Trojak, and their family, House Oskar was never meant to be just a residence. It’s a vessel for thought, rest, and creation. Everything in it is deliberate. Every space serves a purpose.
The couple dreamed of a home that could restore, recharge, and inspire. A place where you could look out into the wild garden, but also look inward. A place where everyday activities—cooking, reading, sleeping—could feel ritualistic and elevated.
And that’s exactly what they achieved. The structure feels like a small universe. A world within a world. A microcosm for living, making, and reflecting—always in rhythm with the outside environment.
Blending New with Old: House Oskar Honors Its Historical Landscape
The property lies within a culturally protected area, which meant that the architect couldn’t simply impose a new structure onto the site. The challenge was clear: How do you respect what was already there—the château, the baroque barn, the orchard, the stone wall—and still create something new, relevant, and deeply personal?
Žaloudek’s answer was architectural humility. House Oskar doesn’t dominate its surroundings—it harmonizes with them. Inspired by the chapel that the village lacks, the building embraces a restrained form. Gabled roofs. White stucco. Perforated masonry that references nearby agricultural buildings. Details that feel both ancient and modern.
What results is a conversation between eras. Between tradition and innovation. Between permanence and change.
Even the materials speak this language. Local ceramic masonry. Whitewashed Czech fir and spruce. Fired ceramic tiles. All familiar. All reimagined.
The Perforated Gable Wall: Where Light Becomes a Design Partner
One of the most striking features of House Oskar is its southern gable wall. It’s perforated—not just for ventilation, but for poetry. Sunlight filters through the patterned openings and casts evolving shadows into the living space. It’s architecture choreographed by nature.
The play of light is central to the design. Morning sunlight washes over the orchard-facing bedroom. Moonlight enters through vaulted niches. The circular window on the southern façade—the size and placement of a church rose window—acts like a celestial lens.
And when the day ends? The direction reverses. The house glows outward. Lit from within, its niches become small lanterns in the rural darkness.
Shading panels allow for control—open them to welcome the world, or close them to create a quiet, meditative cocoon.
Interior as Sacred Volume: A Vaulted, Rounded, Unexpected Space
From the outside, the house maintains a formal restraint. But step inside, and you’re met with surprise. The main living space rises into a sweeping seven-meter-high vaulted ceiling. It feels spiritual, almost sacred.
Unlike the minimalist white façade, the interior glows with warmth. Rounded corners. Soft light. Oak wood. Shivakashi granite. Here, modern meets ancient in gestures that feel familiar but recharged.
At the heart of the home is the kitchen—curved, sculptural, and anchored by a granite island that resembles an altar. This is where rituals unfold daily. Meals, conversations, quiet moments.
The layout respects both privacy and community. The ground floor includes a bathroom, utility spaces, and a bedroom. The upper floor—more secluded and cave-like—offers a private apartment with its own studio. A place for solitude and creative focus.
House Oskar and the Art of Daily Living
Every detail in House Oskar is intentional. But it never feels forced. That’s because this is a home built by people who live and breathe art and design.
The interiors are filled with meaningful objects. A Madonna sculpture from the 19th century. A tapestry woven from undyed sheep wool. Japanese washi lanterns. Czech modernist paintings. African artifacts.
This isn’t decoration—it’s curation. A quiet but powerful narrative of the owners’ lives, values, and inspirations.
Even the furniture is custom. Designed by Žaloudek himself. Solid wood beds. Granite benches. Sculptural elements that echo the home’s architectural language.
The entire house feels like a living Gesamtkunstwerk—a total work of art where architecture, design, and daily life are inseparable.
Designed for Sharing: House Oskar as a Creative Hub
What makes House Oskar even more compelling is that it’s not just private. The family envisions it as a space for others—artists, writers, designers, and thinkers.
The house is available for short-term stays, artist residencies, pop-up events, and workshops. It’s not a museum and not frozen in time. It’s alive. And it wants to be part of the creative world.
Named after composer Oskar Nedbal, who once lived next door, the house carries a legacy of artistic spirit. That spirit continues today, reimagined for our generation.
House Oskar is a statement against the disposable, the fast, the flashy. It shows us that architecture can be intimate. That homes can have souls. That building with care, memory, and vision creates something that resonates far beyond the walls.
It’s a model for sustainable beauty. For thoughtful living. For making space—not just physically, but emotionally and creatively.
So if you’re searching for what residential architecture can be—how it can root you in place while still lifting you beyond the ordinary—House Oskar is the answer.
Not just a house. A home for ideas. A space for art. A gentle revolution.
All images © by Jan Žaloudek Architekt and BoysPlayNice. Don’t hesitate to find other inspiring architecture projects on WE AND THE COLOR.
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