Part of a historic military fortress has been transformed into a minimalist hostel in the Czech city of Olomouc.

Long Story Short takes over a podkov (or horseshoe-shaped building) once used as a military bakery for Locatelli’s Bastion – the 17th-century fortress which protected the country’s second largest city.

Designer Denisa Strmiskova was tasked with crafting the interiors of the Czech hostel, which is named for its continuous layout.

‘The whole concept of the hostel was created from scratch, including all its equipment and visual layout,’ says the interior designer. Strmiskova has given the historic structure a monochrome colour scheme: white plastered walls have been teamed with black-framed furniture by Master&Master, raw wooden floors and exposed beams.

Lighting across the 56-bed hostel is inspired partly by scenography, and in the café, traces of stone emerges from crisp white walls, nodding to the building’s past.

Another highlight is the arched hallway which connects the private bedrooms to Long Story Short’s communal spaces. It is ‘different from every perspective and surprises you constantly when walking through,’ explains Strmiskova.

Shared dorm rooms – the largest of which sleeps 10 people, and start from just €15 per night – have arched ceilings and mezzanine-style beds, which are a sophisticated take on the ubiquitous hostel bunk-bed.

Private rooms are more sumptuous: ‘the Big One’ (also available via Airbnb for €87 per night) features a freestanding bathtub, king size bed and heated floors.

Adds Strmiskova: ‘To soften things up a bit, we matched artwork from local craftsmen with delicate vintage furniture.’ Pieces were sourced and curated by Retroobjects store founder Miroslav Bednář.

[Via Dwell]

Read next: Former prison is reborn as a hotel in Offenburg, Germany