Patrik Líbal : The Devastation of Villa Architecture in Prague

Although it may not be immediately apparent, the most endangered structures in Prague are not the historical buildings, despite some excesses occurring, but rather the villa architecture. Even some of the architecturally significant objects are deteriorating or have been demolished.
The most alarming example is probably the recent destruction of the so-called Montované vila on Baba from 1947, No. 6, Matějská 24, in Dejvice, designed by Jiří Štursa. This house, published many times, located near the functionalist colony Baba, disappeared almost without notice from the professional public. It was an experimental steel structure manufactured by the Vítkovice Ironworks. Given the crucial role this object played in the history of not only modern Czech architecture, it should have been preserved at all costs.
The author of this contribution also feels guilty as he was alerted to the possibility of demolition by an architecture enthusiast from the Baba settlement, but he did not take this threat seriously due to the significance of the object. The role of the Club for Old Prague, or more precisely a part of its leadership, also seems problematic, as it mainly focuses on media-interesting cases while minimally addressing the issue of the destruction of villa architecture.
Recently, villa No. 1620, Vostrovská 17, in Dejvice, designed by František Roith, a student of Otto Wagner at the Vienna Academy, was also demolished.
The reconstruction of the Reiner villa No. 672, Nad Olšinami 4, in Strašnice, by Jaromír Krejcar, built between 1926 and 1927, is catastrophic. Grete Reiner belonged to the German-speaking Prague intelligentsia and was the first to translate Schweik into German. With this “reconstruction,” it lost most of its authenticity, as the terrace was removed, the windows were exchanged, and an absolutely unsuitable coating was applied. Even more alarming is the fact that the house belongs to the Capital City of Prague.
In the aforementioned Baba settlement, many insensitive reconstructions took place during the period of so-called real socialism, but unfortunately, some villas were destroyed only in the recent past. On the other hand, there are also better cases here. The reconstruction of Paličkovy villa by Ladislav Lábus and Norbert Schmidt is among the best efforts, but the restoration of other buildings from the recent past tends to seem more like a rehabilitation of the original expression rather than its destruction.
However, it is not only about functionalist or interwar buildings, as the Schubert villa in Liboc No. 276, designed by Zdenko Schubert von Soldern (1871), has long been deteriorating. This villa with a tower and loggia, belonging to the prime examples of italicizing architecture in our country, now has completely destroyed interiors. However, the essence of this monument (protected since 1958!!!), located near the Obora Hvězda, could still be saved.
These are just the most glaring examples, also associated with the figure of a significant architect or builder, but there are many more endangered villas of above-average quality not only in Prague, and it is necessary to fight against their further destruction.