Liskova villa in Ostrava will open to the public

photo: Alena Krásná

Ostrava - The functionalist Liska villa in Ostrava, which has been a national cultural monument since 2008, will open its doors to the public for the first time for two days. The architectural gem built in 1936 by the Šlapeta brothers will be guided by the son of one of the architects, Professor Vladimír Šlapeta, and Ostrava art historian Martin Strakoš. The owner of the inhabited villa, Drahoslava Doležílková, told ČTK that she wants the opening of the house primarily to support Ostrava's candidacy for the European Capital of Culture 2015.
    Visitors will be able to tour the villa of Eduard Liska on August 21 and 28, with about one hundred interested parties participating in eight guided tours. All the dates are already fully booked. "The interest is so great that we even have substitutes. Therefore, we are considering expanding the number of tours on these two days. We are currently negotiating this with the guides," said Michaela Hofmanová, project spokesperson for Ostrava 2015, to ČTK.
    The opening of the villa to the public was also welcomed by Ostrava director Radovan Lipus, author of the television documentary series "Shum cities." Two years ago, he considered its declaration as a national cultural monument a groundbreaking event. "There is elegance, nobility, and strength in that building. An organic gem that is worth exhibiting. On the green chest of Hladnov - a functionalist jewel of Ostrava!," he told ČTK.
    The Liska villa is built on a slope in Silesian Ostrava. It is a unique example of organic functionalist architecture in both the Czech and Central European context. The house is distinctive for its integration into the terrain, generous living space with a glass wall, which directly connects to a designed garden. Thanks to the materials used, it perfectly blends into its surroundings.
    Thanks to the sensitive approach of the Doležílks, who bought the villa 40 years ago from the son of notary Liska, it has been preserved in almost its original condition with many functional details - such as sockets, switches, fixtures, or sinks. "There is also a unique warm air heating technology, including the original installations, similar to the Tugendhat villa in Brno," specified Naděžda Goryczková, director of the National Heritage Institute.
    However, according to her, the villa has already aged after 70 years and needs a complete reconstruction. The extensive restoration requires the 18-meter-long curved glass wall, which will need around half a million crowns. The replacement of the original heating system, which is very demanding, is also very urgent. "However, we must start with a historical building survey to have an understanding of all the valuable details," added the director.
    The owner had been considering public tours of her private villa for a long time. Ultimately, she decided to "open" the house twice in support of Ostrava's candidacy. "I'm watching Ostrava's battle with Plzeň, so I decided to provoke someone to see if our house should also be included in the project. It really bothers me that after its declaration as a national monument, public officials in the city have shown no interest," Doležílková said.
    She added that she believes in the integrity of the visitors who will have the chance to see her dream house in person. "I have really loved this house and garden for 40 years. I liked it already as a high school student. I always wondered what was behind that glass wall," she confided to ČTK.