150 years ago, the architect of the Municipal House, Balšánek, was born

Antonín Balšánek, Legií Bridge (originally Emperor Franz Joseph Bridge) in Prague; project 1890, realization 1898-1901

Prague - Antonín Balšánek, one of the leading Czech architects of the early 20th century, was born 150 years ago, on June 5, 1865. His buildings still adorn the face of Czech cities today. According to a design he created together with Osvald Polívka, the Art Nouveau Municipal House was built in Prague, which was the center of cultural life at the time. Balšánek also designed the Legií Bridge and the Neo-Renaissance Museum of the Capital City of Prague for the Czech metropolis, as well as theater buildings for Plzeň and Pardubice.
    He was born in Český Brod, for which he later created one of the most interesting exhibition buildings in Bohemia, the Neo-Renaissance Podlipanské Museum. The future builder attended drawing courses at the Academy and studied architecture at the Prague University of Technology. Later, this multi-talented Balšánek served as a professor here.
    Throughout his career, he became one of the leading representatives of late historicism and Art Nouveau. He also dealt with architectural theory and urban planning. During World War I, for example, Balšánek independently developed a project to develop Prague's Letná, where he proposed creating a district with monumental buildings.
    He died in Prague on February 22, 1921.