František Cubr

1936-38 Residential building at the corner of Žitná and Štěpánská streets in Prague (F.Cubr, Z. Hölzel, V. Obrtel)
1936-38 Colony of family houses in Chotěboř (F.Cubr, Z. Pokorný)
1939 Interior design of the Czechoslovak Pavilion at the exhibition in New York (F.Cubr, Z. Pokorný)
1940-42 Family house in Seč (F.Cubr, Z. Pokorný)
1940-45 Interior design, exhibitions, applied graphics for the Kotva design office (with Z. Pokorný)
1946 Czechoslovak exhibition in Stockholm (F.Cubr, Z. Pokorný)
1947 VIII Triennale Milan (F.Cubr, Z. Pokorný)
1948 First Czechoslovak industrial exhibition in Moscow (F.Cubr, Z. Pokorný)
1948 Summer houses by Seč Lake (F.Cubr, Z. Pokorný)
1948 Adaptation and interior design of the first floor of the Trade Fair Palace in Prague (F.Cubr, Z. Pokorný)
1948 Exhibition of 100 years of Czech national life in Kroměříž (F.Cubr, Z. Pokorný)
1949 Second Czechoslovak industrial exhibition in Moscow (F.Cubr, Z. Pokorný)
1949 Czechoslovak exhibition at the fair in Paris (F.Cubr, Z. Pokorný)
1949 Czechoslovak pavilion and exhibition at the fair in Brussels (F.Cubr, Z. Pokorný)
1950-52 reconstruction of the Children's House in Prague (F.Cubr, Z. Pokorný)
1950-53 Set of interiors for the Czechoslovak Embassy in Moscow (F.Cubr, Z. Pokorný)
1950-53 Czechoslovak exhibitions in Damascus, Beirut, and Cairo
1955-58 Czechoslovak pavilion and exhibition at the World Fair EXPO 58 in Brussels (F.Cubr - chief designer, J. Hrubý, Z. Pokorný)
1959 adaptation of the "Moscow" cinema in Prague to Laterna Magika (F. Cubr, J. Hrubý, Z. Pokorný)
1959 Czechoslovak exhibition at fairs in New York and Montreal
1959 Exhibition about the Czechoslovak pavilion in Brussels in Prague (F.Cubr, J. Hrubý, Z. Pokorný)
1960 Solution for the Strahov complex and surroundings for the II National Spartakiad (F.Cubr, J. Hrubý, V. Formáček, J. Kándl)
1960 Transfer and reconstruction of the Czechoslovak pavilion and restaurant from EXPO Brussels 58 to Prague (F.Cubr, J. Hrubý, Z. Pokorný)
1960 Czechoslovak exhibition at the fair in Frankfurt am Main (F.Cubr, J. Hrubý, J. Pilař)
1960 Standardization of the interior design of Czechoslovak diplomatic missions (F.Cubr, Z. Pokorný)
1961-65 solution for the sports complex and student city in Prague, Strahov (F.Cubr, J. Hrubý, L. Hanf, V. Formánek, St. Franc, J. Kándl)
1961 Czechoslovak exhibition in Barcelona
1962 adjustments and equipment of Tyl Theatre and Kolowrat Palace in Prague (F.Cubr, J. Hrubý, Z. Pokorný)
1962 International ceramics exhibition in Prague (F.Cubr, J. Hrubý, Z. Pokorný)
1962 I. world postage stamp exhibition Praga 1962 (F.Cubr, J. Hrubý, Z. Pokorný)
1963-64 Picture Gallery of Prague Castle - permanent exhibition of Rudolfine collections (F. Cubr, J. Hrubý)
1965-67 Czechoslovak exhibition at the World Fair EXPO 67 in Montreal (F.Cubr, J. Hrubý, Z. Pokorný, cooperation Z. Nováková)
1967-68 part of the interiors of Bratislava Castle (F.Cubr, D. Martinček, F. Milučký, J. Hrubý, Z. Pokorný)
1969 Kajetánské gardens of Prague Castle (F.Cubr, J. Hrubý, garden adjustments 1974 O. Kuča)
1967-71 Reconstruction of Jiří's monastery at Prague Castle (F.Cubr, J. Pilař)
1969-76 Permanent exhibition of old Czech art at the National Gallery in Prague, Jiří's monastery, Prague Castle (F. Cubr, J. Pilař, cooperation Z. Nováková)
1971-74 Art Gallery in Bruntál Castle (F.Cubr, Z. Nováková)
1970 Restaurant Lukulus in Prague's Mánes (F.Cubr, Z. Nováková)
1974 part of the interiors of the Intercontinental Hotel in Prague (F.Cubr, Z. Pokorný, cooperation Z. Nováková)
1972-75 Czechoslovak Embassy in Athens (F.Cubr, J. Hrubý, Z. Pokorný)
1969-79 Central Telecommunications Building in Prague (F.Cubr, J. Hrubý, Z. Pokorný, V. Oulík, F. Štráchal)

1947 - Gold medal and Grand Prix at the VIII Triennale in Milan (with Zd. Pokorný)
1958 - Grand Prix at EXPO'58 in Brussels (with J. Hrubý and Zd. Pokorný)
1959 - Holder of the State Prize
1965 - Meritorious Artist

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About the personality of František Cubr

Zdenka Nováková

I shared ten years of work effort with František Cubr - for him it was the final phase of life, for me a great privilege...
I was one of his first students and graduates (at the Faculty of Architecture CTU in Prague). I was also fortunate to work as an auxiliary student staff at his institute, so I had the opportunity to closely understand his thinking, artistic logic, human scale, understanding, and trust - things that I later missed in the harsh reality of practice. [1]
Our cooperation actually began only after my several years of intense practice at the Regional Design Institute in Prague, where I started after my graduation and where I handed in a lot of work in a short time, including competitions. It was precisely my work results that then became the decisive reason why František Cubr chose me as his assistant (in a competition for the position of expert assistant at CTU), which was typical for him but far from obvious at that time. Thus, I became his assistant at school, but it was clear from the beginning that an important part of our cooperation would be - in addition to the teaching commitment - project work. The first work in the team F. Cubr, J. Hrubý, Z. Pokorný, in which I participated, was the Czechoslovak exhibition at the World Fair in Montreal 1967. It was beautiful work - with a space full of colors and art...
The foundation of the concept of the exhibition as a whole in our participation at EXPO 67 in Montreal was to present our culture and its rich historical roots on the ground of the "new world," where people barely knew about the existence of Czechoslovakia at that time. This intention was architecturally and artistically realized in four parts of the exhibition: The Hall of Centuries with a mysterious atmosphere of the Middle Ages was dedicated to our Gothic past, the Hall of Traditions showcased our Baroque heritage (among other things, there was a long wall composed of slides - illuminated from behind, each square of 20x20 cm showed a different Baroque church or chapel in the landscape. Even this quantity spoke for everything...) The next part - The Present - was dedicated to glass art - artistic works in giant dimensions created an imaginary landscape - a forest reflected on the water surface... - which indirectly pointed out the high level of not only our contemporary art but also the technical background in this area. The entire exhibition was concluded by the Hall of Scenography. Overall, the exhibition had the richness of things that do not exist across the ocean.
At the beginning of 1968, František Cubr was invited to take over the Prague Academy of Fine Arts as head professor of the School of Architecture. He was selected as the only candidate by the professors of the sculpture and painting schools of the AVU - certainly under the influence of the success in Montreal 67, where a number of contemporary artworks were presented. [2] He took me with him as his assistant.
At the AVU around him emerged one of the few places where everyone felt good: it was filled with an atmosphere of trust and free creative work. In uncertain times, many friends also came to us to breathe and talk...
This exceptional atmosphere connected with the personality of František Cubr attracted talented students; they came as so-called regulars - after the third year of CTU -, but also graduates of the Faculty of Architecture. They ended up having more degrees than their teacher - as he himself humorously commented. Many of them today represent the top of Czech architecture.
Alongside pedagogical matters, we dedicated ourselves to our projects: at the beginning of our time at the AVU, František Cubr with Josef Pilař were finishing work on the project of the reconstruction of Jiří's monastery, while I continued at Chemapol (PZO Chemapol-Investa in Prague). In addition to these long-term tasks, we solved various commissions together - often even late into the night, during holidays and Sundays... I remember the art gallery that we projected in Bruntál Castle, as well as the Lukulus restaurant in Prague's Mánes (which has since been lost).
The work on the interiors of the Intercontinental Hotel was interesting. The authors of the building - Karel Filsak, Jaroslav Švec, Karel Bubeníček - entrusted the interiors to other studios. Everything was then mutually consulted in terms of the composite work (for example, the concept of the interiors on the ground floor influenced the façade design). In our team - in the collective of František Cubr - we were responsible for the Prague restaurant on the ground floor, a wine bar, a public restaurant, and a meeting salon. Each of these spaces had its own special atmosphere (confirmed by the choice of materials, colors, details, individually designed furniture, and lighting elements), which was enhanced by the inclusion of artworks specifically created for the given topic. The artists were chosen so that their typical artistic focus corresponded with the intended expression of the environment. For example, the ceiling painting by Vladimír Tesař (the author of illustrations for Faust) confirmed the mystery of Prague's underworld in the wine bar, the clusters of luminaires by Vladimír Janoušek in the Prague restaurant evoked the feeling of a crafts workshop of old Prague, etc.
Around 1970, our joint work began on the exhibitions and interiors in Jiří's monastery at Prague Castle, and for the next five years, we solved and drew the entire complex of exhibition sets from spatial solutions to the smallest details... The result was hundreds of drawings of gigantic size. [3]
The realization extended into the mid-70s, and simultaneously, a project was still being developed. After partial approval, not everything was finished, and some things were still not drawn.
In January 1976, we celebrated František Cubr's 65th birthday at the school, he did not live to see the 66th. I then tied up what was necessary in Jiří's monastery and for many subsequent years I addressed various yet unused spaces and re-installations to ensure that the basic concept was preserved.

František Cubr was a unique personality in Czech architecture. He worked with artistic erudition but also with a high level of discipline and moderation in a field that many architects had not entered: his vision of architecture was a world of harmony, a balance of reason and human feeling, where the artistic means - shapes, colors, artworks, every detail - enhanced the dramatic concept and philosophical subtext of the work.
He never worked alone - he was always supported by a team - it would not have been possible otherwise for large tasks. His leading role in team work was predetermined not only by talent but also by the human side of his personality: his honesty, ability to communicate, to assert ideas, to solve even the biggest problems with a smile, but also his kindness, love for people, ability to connect...
The personality and work of František Cubr remind us of basic life values - I believe that this is where his timelessness lies.

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[1] In his lectures, František Cubr emphasized the connection between interiors and the exterior appearance and conception of the building, that it is a whole in which life takes place in its internal environment...
This seemingly so natural and obvious formulation of the meaning of architectural work was still not taken into account at the turn of the 1950s and 1960s (and even today we find examples where it remains misunderstood). Architects focused on the exterior forms of the building and were not interested in the interior - they did not consider it their profession. Inner spaces were then entrusted to visual artists - "interior designers", who worked without reference to the building's handwriting. Life inside then had to submit to the spatial shape of the building - in many cases unsuitable for the purpose - or was improved using built-in decorative elements. This also applied to exhibition pavilions, where the "interior" was designed more by random inclusion of artistic solitaires without a deeper overall intention.
In this situation, František Cubr comes up with the idea of organizing an architectural team that would deal with a comprehensive approach to architecture, i.e. with knowledge in both areas - construction and the creation of interior architecture. In 1949, he established and led the first studio focused in this way. Exhibitions proved to be an important part of his team's work - they motivated the constant search and verification of expressive means, allowing for relatively quick experimentation. The result of consistent work in this field and confirmation of its legitimacy was the success at the World Exhibition in Brussels 1958 (František Cubr was then commissioned to lead the entire "Brussels" event, so his responsibility lay not only in co-authoring the pavilion, interiors, and exteriors but had a much broader scope - from preparation, surveys to overall coordination of a large team of collaborating artists).

[2] The Czechoslovak participation at EXPO Brussels 58 - besides being a valuable example and influence in the field of architecture itself - also meant the first opening of the way for abstract art in Czechoslovakia. Our exhibition at EXPO Montreal 67 emphasized even more the expressive possibilities of the architectural whole with the collaboration of artworks. It became a model for solving this sensitive area, highlighting the importance of the underlying conceptual thought and the firm determination of the role of the artwork in the compositional whole. This meant a lot at a time when the inclusion of the artwork into architecture was more or less chaotic or left to the unprofessional user. A new view of interior architecture (not just exhibition) as a dramatic entity scenically prepared became an attractive example and essentially foreshadowed the entire further development in the area of collaboration between architects and visual artists.

[3] The "reconstruction" of Jiří's monastery was, in fact, a rescue of a monument in a state of emergency. Since the 19th century, it had been used only as a storage or barracks, completely neglected. The building required essential construction and technical interventions - ensuring primarily statics - of course with respect and care for all preserved values. For the subsequent maintenance and care for the reconstructed building, it was important to find a suitable function - and thanks to the atmosphere of the 1960s, the gallery function succeeded (earlier, there was consideration of a Memorial of the History of the Czechoslovak People), which would ensure a dignified level and also attendance.
Alongside the considerations about the object itself, the fact arose that the National Gallery had beautiful collections of old Czech art, but they were in storage, in cramped conditions, and sought ways to show these collections to the public. The combination of these two circumstances - already during the rescue work - led to the idea of reviving Jiří's monastery by creating a permanent gallery exhibition. The entire team of art historians from the National Gallery participated in the work, resolving many problems.
For the solution of the exhibition itself, detailed analyses of the exhibition content and spatial possibilities were first conducted - the resulting concept was then verified in variants and in a subsequent study, which determined the fundamental arrangement of individual exhibition sets into spatial parts: for early Gothic, the basement was chosen, for High and Late Gothic the ground floor including the cloister was selected so that the natural atmosphere of the historical space with preserved attributes (especially vaults) corresponded to the range of exhibits and enhanced the overall expression. This was complemented by the choice of materials and the morphology of the interior design set. The intention was to ensure that not only the historical building was expressed as best as possible, but also each individual exhibit. The first floor - architecturally completely destroyed and of no art-historical value - was designated for the Baroque collection, which required larger distances. Newly designed dividing walls created enclaves for the individual ranges of the extensive collection, and their color was chosen with consideration for this intention. Their surface treatment was then solved in a unique way at the time - a mixture that created the impression of marble (today it is a common thing, but then it had to be developed into a special technology. Similarly, other things - surface treatments of metal, wood, etc. - were also designed and executed individually).
The contemporary expression - the set of exhibition equipment, lighting elements - aimed at expressing the coordinate relationship between the past and the present - respect for the monument but also the continuity of development. Given that this was a permanent exhibition, attention was dedicated to each individual exhibit - this meant solving an endless number of individually designed bases, stands, backgrounds, display cases, but also lighting with all details (at that time, there were no choices from finished products available in our country and there were no computers - everything was hand-drawn on tracing paper...).

Graduates of the Interior and Exhibition Design Institute under Professor F. Cubr at the Faculty of Architecture CTU 1962-1968:
1962 - Eva Jiřičná, Daniel Špička, Josef Vrana, Jiří Kantůrek, Josef Kales
1963 - Miroslav Kohout, Jaroslava Košinová - Šimoníková, Zdenka Smítková - Nováková
1964 - Vladimír Fencl, Jiří Miláček
1965 - Karel Hotový, Ivo Kučírek, Zdeněk Rothbauer
1966 - Jan Bahník, Radim Boháček, Milan Černík, Viktor Černý, Jarmila Jílková
1967 - Václav Aulický, Vladimír Štulc, Jan Vrana
1968 - Václav Mezera, Emil Přikryl, Vladimír Toms, Dalibor Vokáč

In addition to graduates, all students of the Faculty of Architecture CTU in the years 1961-67 (around two hundred) attended lectures and exercises with F. Cubr in the subjects of Interior and Exhibition Design.

Graduates of the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague - School of Architecture under Prof. F. Cubr 1968-1977
1968 - Miroslav Diviš, Ivan Gürtler, Josef Petržilka
1969 - Eduard Augustin, Jiří Mojžíš, Michal Škrovina
1971 - Antonín Jeníček, Martin Souček, Jiří Suchomel, Vladimír Štulc, Rudolf Šulc, Dalibor Vokáč, Jan Vrana, Bernard d´Ambros
1972 - Václav Girsa, Vojtěch Karták, Vratislav Kučera, Stanislav Picek, Emil Přikryl, Stanislav Švec
1973 - Jan Dvořák, Igor Filipovič, Karel Filsak, Helena Fišárková, Jan Friedl, Václav Králíček, Zora Krejčí - Martinová, Aleš Moravec, Miroslav Suchý
1974 - Jiří Malý, Klára Pytlová
1975 - Daniela Fenclová, Jan Novotný, Pavel Provazník, Petr Kovář
1976 - Tomáš Bitnar, Robert Imrich, Michal Gabriel
1977 - Ivona Suchá, Ivan Božuk, Marie Davidová, Jan Hammerschmied, Jaroslav Kosek, Jiří Liesler, Jiří Mach, Michal Mohelský, Beryl Schútznerová - Filsaková, Věra Sússerová, Hana Zachová, Jiří Pošmourný