An architect – who is it?

Václav Aulický

(*1944) je absolventem FS ČVUT (obor architektura a stavba měst). V době, kdy pracoval jako architekt ve Spojprojektu Praha, dostal v roce 1978 zakázku na Žižkovský televizní vysílač (1985-91), který patří mezi nejvýraznější stavby hlavního města. Zároveň je autorem areálu budov Transitního plynovodu na Vinohradech (1973-78), Automatické telefonní ústředny v Dejvicích (1975-78), provozní budovy České televize na Kavčích horách (1995), administrativní budovy České pojišťovny na Pankráci (1996-97) a administrativních center Karlín I (1997) a Karlín II (2001).

Milan Babuška

(*1884 Dubí u Kladna – †1953 Praha) po studiích na rakovnické reálce vystudoval architekturu na ČVUT. Před první světovou válkou krátce pracoval jako architekt, poté byl jmenován profesorem na průmyslové škole v Jaroměři a současně s profesurou pracoval jako soukromý projektant. Od roku 1923 se věnoval projekční činnosti a specializoval se na projekty škol a průmyslových staveb, kterých během svého života uskutečnil přes dvě stovky. Jeho nejznámějšími uskutečněnými stavbami v Praze jsou budovy Technického a Zemědělského muzea na Letné (1938-41).

Antonín Balšánek

(*1865 Český Brod – †1921 Prague)

He was inspired by Renaissance and Baroque styles\ and became a prominent personality of Art Nouveau. He had designed the Bridge of Legionnaires(1898–1901), a Neo renaissance Museum of the city of Prague(1896-1902), the State bank at Vršovické square(1911–12),and mainly the Municipal house(1905–11), which was an excellent Art Nouveau building decorated by many famous artists of that time. Furthermore, he had designed the statue of Karel Hynek Mácha in Petřín park (1911, a sculptor Josef Václav Myslbek).

Adolf Benš

 (1894 Pardubice – 1982 Prague). He was a follower of Jan Kotěra and after WWII became the professor of the College of Applied Arts and from 1947 to 1948 also became its rector. He represented Czech Functionalism. His work was influenced by French modern architecture, mainly by work of Le Corbusiere. Primarily he designed public areas, palaces and the regional planning of the cities. Among his most significant buildings in Prague counts Divišova villa in Troja (1930), a building of Electric company of the capital Prague (1935) and a passenger terminal at the international airport at Praha – Ruzyně (1937)

František Bílek

 (*1872 Chýnov u Tábora – †1941 Chýnov u Tábora). He was not only a sculptor, carver and ceramist, but also a graphic designer, illustrator and painter in thetime of Symbolism and Art Nouveau. At first he studied painting, but then because of his eye disease (daltonism makes it difficult to recognize some colours), he started studying sculpture. When he bought a plot, on the site of the demolished city wall of Hradčany, he decided to build a villa according to his own design here. Bílkova villa is a unique construction of Czech Symbolism and an example of so called Gesamtkunstwerk – a complex artwork. After the German occupation Bílek settled down in Chýnov for the remainder of his life. He built his atelier in 1898 and was making his monumental works there.

Josef Chochol

(*1880 Písek – †1956 Prague) studied architecture at the ČVUT in Prague and at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna. He then worked in Prague and cooperated with artists in the Tvrdošíjní group. He took part in many competitions, especially for the construction of hospitals, and his work was honoured in 1935 at the International Exhibition in Brussells. Among the most significant examples of his work we should especially include the cubist style Kovařovicova Villa No.49 on Libušina street (1913) with cubist elements in its interior and a garden in cubist style, including its boundary fence, also his Trojdům (three buildings in one) on Rašínovo nábřeží near the Vyšehrad tunnel and corner apartment building at No.98 Neklanová street (1911-13). In functionalist style he designed the building of the Chamber of Engineering (1925), the central offices of the City of Prague Electricity Company(1927), the Osvobozené Theatre and public housing in Libeň (1940).

Ondřej Císler

(Born 1972 Lusaka, Zambia)- this contemporary Czech architect studied in the faculty of architecture at the Czech Technical University (ČVUT) in Prague and the School of Architecture at Prof. Emil Přikryl’s Academy of Fine Arts (AVU) in Prague. Since 2005 he has worked with Pavel Hnilička in their studio, “hnilička – císler – architects”. Under their partnership the following projects have been completed: reconstruction of villa apartments in Ořechovka (2004), Štěpánek Villa in Hodkovičky (2005), the V Zálesí apartment building in Barrandov (2007) and the terraced apartment building in Košíře (2007)

Alois Čenský

(*1868 Beroun–†1945 Prague)

He was a very successful architect, technician, scientist, professor and dean of construction department of ČVUT (Czech technical university) at the beginning of the 2Oth century. At the same time he worked as an editor of a magazine “An architectural horizon” ( Architektonický obzor). Among his most famous buildings belong Theatre of Vinohrady (1902–7) and National house and market at Smíchov (1905–8), which are the most renown examples of Czech eclecticism. He had also won the first price for his design of the bridge over the Nuselké valley. Sadly, it was not implemented.

František Maria Černý

(1903 Prague – 1978 Prague). He studied at UMPRUM and AVU. He was a member of the association Děvětsil and designers association Mánes. He was influenced by Holland’s neo-plastic architecture, the French architect Le Corbusiere and was interested in the problem of a modern expression of monumentality. His last designs had characteristics of a sculpture. In Prague you will find his blocks of flats in Chrudimská street (1928-29), buildings with small apartments in U Staré plynárny street (1937), Mölzerova villa (1938) and in the first place the towers of Emauzy monestary (1964-68).

Alois Dryák

(* 1872 Olšany u Slaného – †1932 Prague) not as well known as his peers Jan Kotěra and Josef Gočár, even though he exceeded them in the number of proposals for buildings and participation in competitions. He designed the slim Hotel Garni (now Meran) on Wenceslas Square, built in the floral Art Nouveau style (1903). With Bedřich Bendlmayer he rebuilt the hotel U Arcivévody Štěpána on Wenceslas Square (later Šroubek, now Evropa ) (1905). Together with sculptors he produced two of the biggest monuments – František Palacký by the sculptor Stanislav Sucharda, and St. Wenceslas by Josef Václav Myslbek. The neoclassical  Palác Odborů (Trade Union building) on Na Perštýně (1920-22) is quite exceptional with its cubist elements. Outstanding examples of his large-scale construction projects include Strahov Stadium (the biggest stadium in the world at that time, awarded a Diploma in 1932 at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles), also the State Tobacco Authority building (now the Commercial Court) (1923-28) and the Radiopalace (1922-24). In cooperation with Jaroslav Vondrák he created the architectural style of the Villa district of Ořechovka (houses in an English Cottage style, a community hall and his own villa) (1923-24), also the garden district of Hanspaulka.

Antonín Engel

 (*1879 Poděbrady – †1958)

He was a Czech architect and an urbanist, a theoretician of architecture, a professor at ČVUT, one of the most interesting personalities of the Czech architecture of 20^th century. He studied with J.Zítek and O.Wagner at the Czech technical department at the Viennese Academy. He opened his own atelier in 1909 in Prague. Within 1912-20 he worked as a professor at the “Industry and Construction school” in Prague, since 1922 he was a professor at Prague´s ČVUT and he worked as its rector between 1934-40. He became famous mainly for his monumental constructions of Podolská waterworks (1929–31) Also the Ministry of Railways and Dational Defence building and last but not least for his urbanistic concept of a new district of Dejvice.

Josef Fanta

(*1856 Sudoměřice u Tábora – †1954 Prague)

He was one of the most recognized Czech Art Nouveau architects, furniture designers, painters, and patron of the arts in addition he was also devoted to monuments protection. After finishing his studies, he became an assistant of his professor Josef Zítek when building the National Theatre. He made a Neo-renaissance lamppost which still stands in front of the theatre. As an author he participated in constructing of Hlávkovy student´s dormitory (1903, the Wilson´s Main Station (1901–9), and the building of the Ministry of industry and trade (1932).

Bedřich Feuerstein

(*1892 Dobrovice – †1936 Prague) – architect, set designer and painter, he studied at the Czech Technical University and worked in Paris with Auguste Perret, in Tokyo with Antonín Raymont, working in modern styles – classicist, cubist, purist, surrealist (stage sets for Osvobozené Divadlo) . Many of his projects were carried out while living abroad, he designed the Military Geographic Institute building in Prague (1925) and the Aventinum Publishing House on Purkyňova street (1931).

Karel Filsak

(*1917 Jindřichův Hradec – †2000 Prague) led a group of architects which, among others, included Karel Bubeníček, Jiří Louda and Jan Šrámek. In the 1960’s they stood against the politically enforced socialist realism and asserted modern architecture. With its robust style and use of rough concrete surfaces, his architecture is categorised as brutalist. He designed the New Prague- Ruzyně Airport (now the North Terminal) (1960-68), Hotel Intercontinental (1968-74) and the Barrandov Bridge (1978-88).

Jaroslav Fragner

( *1898 Prague – †1967 Prague) studied at the ČVUT in Prague and with Josef Gočár at the AVU. In 1935, along with Adolf Hoffmeister he went to study in America. He was a member of the Purist Four group – a coalition of students from the ČVUT, and also the Devětsil group, the Architect’s Club and SVU Mánes (the Mánes Association of Fine Artists), of which he became chairman in 1939. Until the 1920’s he was influenced by cubism before moving on to the international functionalist concept of architecture and becoming interested in monumentalism. According to his designs villas were built in the Prague garden district of Barrandov (1928-32), the statue of T.G. Masaryk in Hradčany (1937, in cooperation with Vincenc Makovský), as well as the administration building of Merkur Insurance (1936).

Jan Gillar

( *1904 Příbor – †1967 Prague) studied architecture with Josef Gočár at the AVU and became a typical functionalist architect, designing private accommodation and public buildings including their interiors e.g. a group of buildings for the Francouzské Gymnázium (French Grammar School) (1934), the house of Karel Tiege (1939), public housing on Na Hubálce (1939), apartment buildings on Vinařská street(1938), the Včela collective building (1931). He was involved in the construction of the Ruzyně housing estate (1931) and the Monument to the Antifascist Resistance (1926-30, in the K. Zázvorka studio). After WWII he worked for Stavoprojekt.

Josef Gočár

He was an architect, whose cubist and functionalist works count among the best from the Czech modern architecture. He studied at artistic school in atelier of Jan Kotěra. His buildings at the Black Madonna (1911–12) and “Legiobank” in the street Na poříčí (1921–23) rank the most notable works of his cubist era. After Kotěra had died, he was appointed the professor of Academy of Arts and Design and later on he was also elected to rector. Another of his remarkable functionalist building ranks the church of Wenceslas in Vršovice. (1927-1928)

Vlastislav Hofman

(*1884 Jičín – †1964 Prague) he was a representative of the cubist style of architecture, in which he was the most radical follower of new ideas. He designed the Jiráskův (1929-33) and Štefánikův (1949-51) bridges and footbridges on Slovanský and Židovský islands. He was also the designer responsible for the renovation of František Palacký Square (1913). At the National Theatre and Vinohradské Theatre he was able to demonstrate the full range of his artistic talent – as an architect, set designer and painter, creating over 300 set designs over a period of fourty years.

Josef Hrubý

(1906 Větrný Jeníkov – 1988 Prague). After his studies of architecture and construction buildings at ČVUT in Prague, he opened his own atelier with Josef Kittrich. Together they designed the department store Bílá labuť (a White Swan)(1937-39). It is recorded on the list of landmarks of Unesco since 1994. He represented a period of Functionalism (more precisely of International style) and his main projects were designed in a period of Socialistic Realism e.g. the Czechoslovak pavilion EXPO ´58 in the Brussels, which was resituated to Prague´s park Stromovka in 1959 and a Restaurant pavilion Praha, which is still situated in Letná park. Furthermore he built the Strahov´s area with student ´s dormitories and an exhibition pavilion and also designed an adaptation of the Strahov´s stadium for 2^nd and 3^rd Spartakiad (mass gymnastic festival in Communist Czechoslovakia).

Karel Hubáček

(*1924 Praha) He is one of the most recognized Czech architects of present times. He was as the only Czech architect awarded the Perret´s prize, which is given by an International union of architects, for his design of a television transmitter and the Hotel Ještěd in 1969 in Liberec. Furthermore, he won Grand Prix in 1989 at the world’s biennial event Interarch in Sophia and the same prize he also recieved from the union of architects (Obce architektů) in the year 1996. He was granted an accolade for his lifelong work and hard-set life attitudes by The Czech Chamber. Among another known works count e.g. a waterworks tower called Praha-Dívčí hrady or a meteorological tower in Prague Libuš, a department store Ještěd in Liberec and reconstruction and completion of a house for the theatre of DAMU.

Pavel Janák

(*1882 Prague – 1956 Prague). He studied building construction and architecture by a professor Schulz and by Otta Wagner in Vienna. He had built several pavilions with Jan Kotěra on the occasion of the Jubilee exhibition (1908). A turning point of his work was the construction of Hlávkův Bridge (1909-12). Furthermore he built Škoda´s palace (1926), Palace Adria(1922-25), the Hotel Juliš (1927-33),and the Hussite Congregation at Vinohrady (1930). His most famous urban realization was the settlement Baba – construction of family houses according to principles of healthy dwelling at that time. After the WWII he was adapting landmarks at the Prague Castle and its environment (a building “Hvězda” for Jiráskovo museum, the Ballgame hall, the Summer chateau in the royal park).

Eva Jiřičná

 (*1939 Zlín), a world famous architect and designer living in UK. She studied at ČVUT and AVU. Since 1967 she worked in Prague ÚBOK. She left for London for a scholarship in 1968, but the Czech authorities prevented her from returning. Nowadays she has an architectural studio in Prague (AI design Praha) and London ( Eva Jiricna Architects). Since 1996 she has been a head of atelier of architecture at VŠUP in Prague. There she adapted the church of St.Ann (2006) for the foundation of Dagmar and Václav Havel according to her design. There is a cultural centre “the Prague´s crossroads” here. At the same time she was one of the designers of the Hotel Josef (2002).

Jan Kaplický

 (*1937 Praha) He studied at VŠUP and since his emigration in 1968 he has been living in Great Britain. He founded an architectural studio with David Nixon called Future Systems, where he still works, in 1979. He is a representative of high-tech architecture which makes experiments with organic architecture being inspired by natural shapes. Among his last designs ranks the building of the National library at Letná field. It should be of a green, yellow and white colour with purple spots (windows), among local people it is called the “octopus”. This design has awakened among both professionals and general public considerable emotions.

Jan Kotěra

He studied at the Academy of Arts and Design, where he was influenced on one hand by Wagner´s Modernisms and on the other hand by Italian Classism. Then he worked as a professor at a newly founded Academy of Arts and Design in Prague and was also an important urbanist. He designed a few buildings in 1902. One of them was the “Trnalova Villa” in Prague-Strašnice. In 1906 he started working on the complex of buildings of waterworks in Vršovice. The monumental projects of the Law and Theological faculties kept him from 1907 until the end of his life.

Jaromír Krejcar

( *1895 Hundesheim, Austria – †1950 London) trained at first as a builder. Studied at the School of Civil Engineering in Prague and then architecture at the AVU with Jan Kotěra and was then employed by the Josef Horár studio. He gained his independence in 1923 and became one of the leading exponents of avant-garde functionalist architecture in Czechoslovakia. Like many others, his designs were influenced by the work of Le Gorbusier – Richard Bibián Villa in Bubeneč (1929), villas for the Barrandov garden district (1928-32), the Olympic Palace (1926), Spolkový dům Jednoty soukromých úředníků (Collective building of the Union of Private Clerks) (1931). In 1934-35 he worked in the Soviet Union and during WWII he lived in England. After his return to Czechoslovakia he was a Professor of Architectural Design for a short time at the VUT in Brno (1946-48). He went back to England in 1948 where he was a Professor at the London School of Architecture.

Zdeněk Kuna

(* 1926 Pilsen) Professor of Architecture at the VŠUP. Since 1982 he has been a member of the board of the central committee of SČSA and chairman of SČA. He primarily designed housing estates (Most, Kolín) in urban and brutalist style, but among his most significant constructions in Prague we can include the Strojimport administration building on Vinohrady, which was built by the Italian company FEAL Miláno, the Motokov building on Pankrác, the State Planning Institute and the Federal Ministry of Foreign Trade buildings.

Ludvík Kysela

(*1883 Kouřim – †1960 Prague) studied architecture at the ČVUT and, after WWI, worked for the Prague Building Authority and the State Regulation Commission. He did not have his own architectural firm, but several significant buildings in Prague were built according to his designs. His first buildings were influenced by Czech Cubism e.g. Cubist Building No.270 on Malostranské Square (1912). He later became a functionalist and at that time he designed the Bank building at No.583 (1927-28) (adapted to a Children’s Centre in 1950), the Baťa Department Store (1928-29) and Palác U Stýblů (1929) (now Alfa Palace).

Ladislav Lábus

(*1951 Prague) after studying at the Building faculty of ČVUT he worked for the City of Prague Planning Office in the Delta studio. After the revolution of November 1989 he opened his own studio, Lábus, in 1991 and after completing a lectureship in 1995 he became a Professor of Architecture at the ČVUT in Prague in 2002. Palác Langhans on Vodičková street was renovated according to his design (1997-2002) (originally a neo-renaissance apartment building from 1870 designed by architect František Tesař). For his unique architectural combination of 19^th Century and contemporary styles he was awarded the Grand Prix Obce Architektů.

Adolf Loos

 (*1870 Brno – †1933 Kalksburg by Vienna)

 He was a classic of modernism and a leader of purism. After his studying in Liberec, he lived in Vienna and there he led a modernistic movement. He entirely subordinated applied arts to functionality and utility in his work. He even called an ornament criminal ashe thought it wasted time and money. He did not consider architecture art, even though it must meet aesthetic demands. He demonstrated usefulness and elegance in construction of “Müller ´s villa” (1930).

Evžen Linhart

(*1898 Kouřim – †1949 Prague) after studying architecture at the ČVUT he primarily designed buildings for housing and furniture. He took part in many competitions – his designs came from purism and Czech modernism, he later became an exponent of functionalism. Just before, and immediately after WWII he completed his most significant work – Gymnázium Dr. E. Beneše (Grammar School) in Dejvice (1938) and the Kolektivní Dům (communal building) in Litvínov (1948-58).

Ladislav Machoň

(*1888 Prague – †1973 Prague)

 He studied with J.Schulz and J.Fanta at Czech technical college in Prague and since 1909 he also worked in the atelier of J. Kotěra. He represented classicism, functionalism and style, which became known in history of architecture as “national style”. He presented many projects and reconstructions of buildings and interiors. He designed monuments and was also devoted to state design. His reconstruction of “Klementinum” and Straka´s Academy, completion of the Law faculty, with his own interiors(1924–30), a project of the villas of the Čapka brothers (1923–24), modernization of a hotel at the Golden Goose (1932), and a building of the Black brewery (1933) at the Charles square count among significant works of Czech inter-war architecture.

Věra Machoninová

 (*1928 Strakonice). She worked for a State project institute and together with her husband founded their own architectonic atelier Alfa in 1967. In 1974 they orchestrated the department store Kotva according to their design. Their collective work was forbidden in the time of normalization and thus Věra Machoninová herself became an author of a project “the House of Dwelling Culture”(a department store of furniture in Prague 4), which was finished in 1977. After the year 1989 the married couple were looking forward to a collaborative work, but her husband Vladimir Machonin died in 1990 and so Věra Machoninová founded an architectural office – the atelier Alfa. She was wining in public architectural -urbanist competitions for the construction of a central square of the town of Štětí (1996) and the city center of Jablonec nad Nisou. (1999)

Vlado Milunić

(*1941 Zagreb in Slovenia)

He is a Czech architect of Croatian origin. He studied at ČVUT, spent three years on scholarship in Paris and after his return to Czechoslovakia; he cooperated with Jan Línek since 1970, with whom he started in projection office of Karel Preger with. He founded his own studio called “Free thoughts” ( Volné myšlenky –VM) in 1990. For a Czech nation he became known as an author of the Dancing house (1996) at Rašínovo embankment. Further, he designed an area Hvězda at Petřiny (2000) and the House of children and youth in Modřany (2005).

Miroslav Masák

(* 1932 Úvaly) studied with Josef Kittner at the ČVUT and worked in the Liberec Design Office, where in 1968 the SIAL association was formed. From January 1990 he was a specialist adviser to Czech President for three years, in 1993 he became vice-President of the Council of Prague Castle. He works as a pedagogue and, in 1990, he was appointed as Professor of Architecture at the VUT. In Prague we can see his completed designs in e.g. Obchodní Dům Máj (Department Store) (1975 with John Eisler a Martin Rajniš), the President’s Office in Prague Castle (1990) and the Royal Garden Residence (1992).

Otakar Novotný

(1880 Benešov – 1959 Prague). After studying architecture, he worked by Jan Kotěra at the college of applied arts and ranked with the most talented and versatile scholars. Afterwards, he founded his own project firm, became a professor of the College of Applied Arts and between1934-36 became a rector there as well. His works were gradually affected by Art Nouveau, Czech Cubism and Functionalism – Štencův House (1909-11), a Cubist Villa No.48 at Rašínovo embankment under the Vyšehrad (1912-13), a functionalist building by an association of designers called Mánes (1929-30), a villa of Václav Špála (1930).

Vít Obrtel

( *1901Olomouc – †1988 Praha) byl český architekt, scénograf, grafik a návrhář nábytku. Člen Devětsilu a Spolku výtvarných umělců Mánes, Svazu a Klubu architektů měl několik puristických projektů, v nichž se objevovali kruhové útvary, takže se přiblížil k "organické architektuře“. Po II. světové válce pracoval v Krajském projektovém ústavu, po roce 1960 ve Zdravoprojektu až do odchodu do důchodu. V Praze najdete pro jeho tvorbu nejtypičtější stavbu – nájemní dům na rohu Štěpánské a Žitné ulice (1939).

Milada Petříková-Pavlíková

(1895 Tábor – †1985 Praha) She was the first woman from the socialist Czechoslovakia who graduated in the faculty of Architecture and Building Construction at the ČVUT. At first she worked as an independent architect, who designed social buildings for women. After 1950 she worked in the firm “ Stavoprojekt” in the department of urban design. Afterwards, she worked in the company “ Rudý project” ( Red project), where she was working on urban plans of housing estates and mines. In Prague we find the house in the street Ve Smečkách No. 26 (1931-1833). Nowadays there is the site of a theatre. Further projects are houses for shelters of abandoned women in Dejvice (1923-34), the social institution called “Domovina of Charlotte Masaryk” ( 1925-26), the social institution providing protection for women with children at Vinohrady (1928), a nursery school and kinder garden of V. Vacek in Lhotka ( 1947-50).

Josip Plečnik

(*1872 Lublaň, Slovinsko – †1957 Lublaň, Slovinsko) he studied at the Academy of visual art in Vienna where he befriended Jan Kotěra. Since 1910 he worked as a professor of decorative architecture in Prague at VŠUP. He was appointed the architect of Prague Castle by the government in 1920. There he worked unti1934. At the same time he worked as a Professor of architecture at University in Ljublan. There was built a corner apartment building according to his project in Žatecká street in the Old Town (1913-1914, together with L. Skřivánek). However, among his main construction counts the Church of the Holy Heart of the Lord at the square of George of Poděbrady ( 1932).

Richard Ferdinand Podzemný

(*1907 Křivá u Valašského Meziříčí – †1987 Prague) He studied architecture at VŠUP. Before WWII he became famous for the construction of the Land bank so called “Glass palace” in Bubeneč(1937). After the war he worked in Prague´s project institution and there he built a public swimming pool according to his project in Podolí (1959-65, together with G.Kuchař and J. Domič). Furthermore he designed the hospital “Pod Marjánkou” in Břevnov (1960-62) and the children’s hospital in Motol (1960-76, together with A. Tenzer)

Karel Prager

 (*1923 Kroměříž – †2001 Prague) After he finished his studies at the Technical College, he started creating along social realism lines. He was characterized in that he sort of ignored views of the nearby environment, but he contributed to new solutions of building exteriors. His production is very often compared to Mies´s American constructions. Among his main works count the buildings of Institution of macromolecular chemistry ČSAV (1963-64), former Czechoslovakian Parliament (1966-73), Komerz bank in the shape of frustum, the student dormitories in Troja and the New Scene of the National Theatre.

František Roith

(*1876 Praha – †1942 Voznice) he represented so called “Prague official architecture along monumental academic lines. He studied alongside Josef Zítek at the German Technical University and with Otta Wagner at the Academy in Vienna. He started working independently as of 1907, when he designed the villas in Černošice and at Ořechovka in Prague. After WWI he designed the buildings of Ministery of Finance (1926-34) in the Lesser Town and Ministery of Agriculture (1925-32) in Těšnov. He is an author of the building of City Library at Mariánské square (1924-1928), which was one the most modern constructions of its kind and period in Europe. There appeared elements of art deco in its interior. Furthermore he designed the building of the Merchants Bank at the square of Nám. Republiky (1928-38), in addition he also built the Czech National Bank in non-classicist style (1934-42). When building it, it was the most modern and pretentious palace of a bank in our country.

Kamil Roškot

(*1886 Vlašim – †1945 Paris) After finishing his studies at the German Technical University and ČVUT, he studied the history of art at Charles University, paintings by Max Švabinský and architecture by Jan Kotěra at the AVU ( Academy of fine art). He became a founder and chairman of the Association of academic architects. He made many educational trips e.g. to Germany, Belgium, Holland, England, Italy and Tunis. He represented our country at the exhibitions in Milan (1928), Chicago (1933) and New York (1939). From his productions in Prague you can see e.g. family houses at Vinohrady, Bubeneč and Zbraslav, the building of former Pragoexport with the clock tower (1929-31). He was a co-author of the airport Ruzyně (1932-36, the main author was A.Benš), and the building of Ministry of Foreign Affairs at Letná (1935-39, together with J. Zázvorkou and J. Kalousem).

Josef Karel Říha

(* 1893 Rokycany – † 1970 Praha) After graduating at the ČVUT, he worked in the atelier of Jan Kotěra. Under his influence he designed the apartment buildings in Zelená Street in Dejvice, the theatre of V.Burian in Hybernská Street also the palace of mining and metallurgical company and its dwelling houses (1929). However, the most famous work was his own villa. “ Na Paváku” above Santoška(1930). After the war he designed the reconstruction of Hybern´s palace (194í) and the crematorium of the Motol´s hospital (1952). He was publishing professional literature e.g. “Praha včerejška a zítřka”(Prague of yesterday and tomorrow), 1956; “Základy teorie tvorby krajiny” (Fundamentals of scenery creating), 1970.

Marcela Steinbachová

(* 1975 Praha) She studied at the VŠUP and AVU. She founded and became chairlady to the project “Kruh” ( a circle) in 2001, which aims to convey architecture to the general public. In 2007 she founded the atelier “Skupina” (group) (together with A.Pražák and J. Bardoděj). Following these, her projects such as reconstruction of the Centre of Franz Kafka, library and Café of Franz Kafka in the Old Town, and she built the Hotel Absolut in Holešovice.

Alena Šrámková

(*1929 Prague) She studied architecture at the Technical College in Bratislava and worked in Chemoprojekt, Stavoprojekt or SIAL. She was appointed university lecturer at ČVUT in 1991, founded her own atelier in 1992 and has worked as a Professor at the AVU since 1999. She is characterised with minimisation of form and focus on the whole. She is author of the motel Stop in Motol (1964), the hall of the Main Station (1977), an administration building of ČKD at Můstek (1983), the shopping centre at Lužiny (1986) and others.

Antonín Tenzer

(*1908 Kašperské Hory – †2002 Praha) He was a disciple of Pavel Janák at the UPŠ. He was the protagonist of Czech functionalism and inter-war avant-garde architecture. He designed a medical centre in Vysočany after the war (1952). At the President´s Antonín Zápotocký ‘s request he designed the Hotel Jalta(1957), which became his most important work. Afterwards, he made the children´s hospital in Motol (1960-67, together with R.F. Podzemný) and terrace-like houses in Libeň (1975).

Oldřich Tyl

(*1884 Ejpovice – †1939 Prague) He studied at the Czech Technical University (ČVUT) by Josef Schulz. He became a mastermind of discussions concerning urban problems of the Club of Architects. He worked at the construction company of Matěj Blecha. A follower of absolute purism won a contest with his project of Veletržní Palace (1928). Later realized were: a department store Černá Růže(1933) or the home for girls YWCA (1929).

Max Urban

(*1882 Praha – †1959 Praha) he was a Czech architect and film-maker who was an architect devoted mainly to urbanism. He was a member of the State regulating committee in 1924-39 and afterwards also a member of the Planning Committee of the Capital. At Miloš Havel´s wish he started making a project of the complex at Barrandov in 1927. The same year he began to realize the terrace and restaurant at Barrandov called Terasy (1927-31). In 1931-33 he made his biggest work namely the studios at Barrandov. He was awarded the Great prize of an international exhibition of art and technique in Paris for that in 1937.

Jan Zázvorka

(*1884 Prague – 1963 Prague). He studied architecture by Jan Kotěra at UMPRUM and also worked for his atelier. After his return from captivity during WWI, he worked for Záruba-Pfeffermann and as of 1926 had his own atelier. The father of an actress Stella Zázvorková and a film architect Jan Zázvorka represented plain classicist Purism and his sense for a noble monumentality was expressed by his design of a National Monument at Žižkov. At the same time he was an author of Štefánikův house at I.P.Pavlova square (1929) and also co-author of the building of the Home Office at Letná (1935-39).

Josef Zasche

(1871 Jablonec nad Nisou -1957 Schackensleben, Germany). He was an architect of German origin, a contemporary of Adolf Loose, Jan Kotěra and Josip Plečnik. He had designed a villa for his friend, a designer Karel Wilfert in Holešovice. At first it was called the Blue villa. Nowadays we consider the Blue villa a precious example of early modernist architecture. A graduate of the Viennese Art Academy built late Art Nouveau and modernist palaces – the Hotel at Three Riders (1906-08), a building of Prague Railway Company (1906-07) at the Senovážné square, and the Palace of the Viennese Bank in Příkopy street (1906-08). He was a friend of Jan Kotěra and Pavel Janák, whom he cooperated on construction of the Palace Adria (1933) with. Even though he never participated as a Nazi, he was resettled, already retired, to Germany in 1946.

Ladislav Žák

(*1900 Praha – †1973 Praha) He studied painting at the AVU and later architecture by Josef Horáribid. While studying, he made a lot of trips abroad and then he taught at secondary school. He designed villas and interiors in the 30´s – Herain´s villa(1932), villa of Hugo Zaorálek (1932), villa Čeněk (1932), the family house of Ing. M. Hajn (1933).He designed one the most pretentious villas for the director M.Frič and for the family of the actor Lída Baarová in 1934-35. He was teaching at the AVU and devoted himself to designs of monuments( e.g. Ležáky).