Part Three: Art Deco (1920-1931)
23. State Railway Directorate Building
Vojtěch Krch & Gustav Kulhavý, 1920-1922
Křižíkova 552/2, Prague 8 – New Town
This early Art Deco building, located next to the Florenc Central Bus Station, was the work of the architects who designed several train stations in post-war Czechoslovakia.
24. Hořovský Villa
Na Lysinách 48/2, Prague 4 – Hodkovičky
Pavel Janák, 1921-1922
This villa, thoroughly modified after World War I, shows the return of ornament to the façades after the years of purist Cubism. It is considered to be one of the most original Rondocubist villas. It is located in the Hodkovičky district, far from the city centre.
25. Myšák Building
Vodičkova 710/31, Prague 1 – New Town
Josef Čapek, 1922
This building has many colourful attached details on its façade, heralding a new era in the architecture of Prague. It hosts one of the most famous pastry shops in the city.
26. Czechoslovak Legio Bank Building / Archa Palace
Na poříčí 1046/24, Prague 1 – New Town
Josef Gočár, 1920-1923
This is a major example of the Czech Rondocubist architecture, built as a depository for soldiers that had fought in World War I. It has a white marble frieze designed by Otto Gutfreund, depicting the epic march across Siberia of the Czechoslovak Legion and their embroilment in the Russian revolutions, set into the smoky-red moulding of the façade. The main banking hall has a curved glass roof and a distinctive red-and-white marble patterning.
27. Apartment building on Růžová 947/8-10
Bohumír Kozák, 1922-1923
This building has a number of interesting details, such as the mouldings above the portals, the corbels, balustrades and sculptures of the central balcony, and the ornaments between the semi-columns and windows of the façade.
28. Bank of Brno
Jindřišská 1308/15, Prague 1 – New Town
Josef Gočár, 1922-1923
This Art Deco building has rhythmic façades achieved largely by strong colour contrasts. All the details are geometric, except for the relief flanking the corner entrance.
29. Apartment building of the Teachers’ Cooperative on Kamenická 811/35
Otakar Novotný, 1923-1924
This structure, located in Holešovice, is another apartment building designed by Novotný for the Teachers’ Cooperative. While in most other Rondocubist buildings round and cylindrical shapes are attached to the flat surface as decorative elements, here they are part of the plastic organisation of the façade.
30. Čapek Villa
Bratří Čapků 1853/28 & 1854/30, Prague 2 – Vinohrady
Ladislav Machoň, 1923-1924
This semi-detached villa, owned by brothers Karel and Josef Čapek, has some Rondocubist details, such as the semicircular pediment on some of its windows.
31. Radio Palace
Vinohradská 1789/40, Prague 2 – Vinohrady
Alois Dryák, 1922-1925
The Radio Palace was designed as a multifunctional socio-cultural building. It has many interesting details and is probably the most remarkable Rondocubist structure in Vinohrady.
32. Former Telephone & Telegraph Central Office
Fibichova 1500/19-21, Prague 3 – Žižkov
Bohumír Kozák, 1921-1926
This massive structure next to the Žižkov Television Tower has dominant corner towers, Art Deco window frames and portals decorated with sculptures by Ladislav Kofránek.
33. Adria Palace
Jungmannova 36/31, Prague 1 – New Town
Pavel Janák & Josef Zasche, 1922-1926
The gigantic Adria Palace is another prime example of Czech Rondocubism. Built for the Italian insurance company Riunione Adriatica di Sicurtà, it has been described as an imitation of a Renaissance palazzo (note the alternation of angles and semi-circles).
It has an open foyer with an elaborate 24-hour clock surrounded by bronze statuettes, representing the signs of the zodiac.
34. Rondocubist kiosk in the Vrchlický Garden
Bolzanova, Prague 1 – New Town
Pavel Janák (?), 1920s
The kiosk located at the northern end of the Vrchlický Garden is the only surviving Rondocubist kiosk in Prague. Its author is not known, but its design is similar to numerous sketches and blueprints created by Pavel Janák in the 1920s. It has also been compared to the wooden houses designed by Josef Gočár in Kbely.
35. Palace Akropolis
Kubelíkova 1548/27, Prague 3 – Žižkov
Rudolf Václav Svoboda, 1927-1928
This colourful Art Deco building originally housed a theatre, a café and upscale apartments. Today it acts a major cultural centre in Žižkov and is known for rock concerts.
36. Škoda Palace
Jungmannova 35/29, Prague 1 – New Town
Pavel Janák, 1926-1929
This huge Art Deco building was constructed for the Škoda company. Its architect was Pavel Janák, who had also designed the adjacent Adria Palace. Its attic gable originally showed a logo of the company, depicting the winged arrow.
37. Faculty of Law of the Charles University
Náměstí Curieových 901/7, Prague 1 – Old Town
Jan Kotěra (plan) & Ladislav Machoň (execution), 1924-1931
The original plan of this building was drafted by Jan Kotěra – the father of modern Czech architecture. The construction, however, was significantly delayed, and it was carried out only after Kotěra’s death in 1923. Hints of Neoclassicism, Art Nouveau, Cubism, and Art Deco can be perceived on the façades. The Art Deco interior is the work of Ladislav Machoň.
grande flânerie 