Petr Hajek's library - Prague, Czech Republic

A solitary life: the introverted world of Petr Hájek

Petr Hájek’s library can be found in the Institute of Computer Science of the Czech Academy of Sciences, which is where the world-renowned Czech mathematician worked for many years. The reclusive space expresses his ideas and also contains the extensive book collection to which he devoted his entire life.

The world of books is in a room with no windows. Studio COSMO, which created the final design, chose a monochrome theme for the space, both interior and exterior. “The blue colour entices visitors from the moment they encounter this space. Inspired by the professor’s personality, it is both dignified and tranquil,” states Tereza Kabelková of Studio COSMO.

“Visitors can gradually assemble fragments of Petr Hájek’s personality, firstly from his ideas and the quotes outside the library. Once inside, you can immerse yourself into his perception of the world through the books he wrote or studied over his lifetime,” Tereza Kabelková adds.

The wooden bookshelves were tailor-made for this very room. Visitors are seduced by the large openings into the mathematician’s introverted world. On entering, they find themselves surrounded by books with a small reading space between them. To preserve an elegant, minimalist impression, the studio used TON’s 002 chair, which consists of only three components, and a conference table, both in the same shade of blue.

Studio COSMO was founded by the architects Tereza Kabelková and Jiří Kabelka, who cover a variety of criteria by working closely with their clients and standing alongside them throughout the process, from start to finish.