<p>125 years ago, architect Jan Zázvorka was born.</p>

Ceremonial Hall of the National Memorial at Vítkov

Prague - Architect Jan Zázvorka left behind a number of successful projects, the most famous of which is the National Memorial at Žižkov. A student of Jan Kotěra, he was also a well-known Prague bohemian. When he entered a room, all the ladies in the room reportedly refreshed their makeup. This Thursday, May 21, marks 125 years since his birth.
Some of his bohemian spirit and artistic talent were certainly passed on to his two descendants - theater and film actress Stela Zázvorková and son Jan, who made a name for himself as a recognized film scenographer.
Zázvorka's work was undoubtedly influenced by his professor at the Applied Arts School and also his first breadwinner in one person, Jan Kotěra. However, the young architect gradually distanced himself from his teacher's style, seeking new expressions that culminated in the austere classicizing purism he admired, close to functionalism.
His most celebrated work also fits into this framework, the monumental memorial at Žižkov from the turn of the 20th and 30th decades of the last century and the nearby Military Museum. The author of the Prague-Smíchov station also designed technical buildings such as the power plant and weir in Kostelec nad Labem (1930). His last project was a new hotel in Kutná Hora, completed in 1958. Jan Zázvorka passed away on May 27, 1963.