The project for the restoration of the Kantor's villa in Jablonec nad Nisou will be prepared by the studio Objektor

Jablonec nad Nisou - The project for the restoration of the valuable Kantor Villa in Jablonec nad Nisou will be prepared for the city by the Prague studio Objektor architekti, which won the architectural competition. CTK informed about this today, citing the spokesperson of the city hall, Jana Fričová. The regionally protected functionalist villa was purchased by the city seven years ago, and it aims to open it to the public. The city wants to have the project documentation by spring 2025 at the latest, planning to use European grants for the construction, which could amount to over 42 million crowns.

A total of 28 architects and studios applied for the competition, and five were shortlisted. "We expect that the selected proposal will approach the reconstruction of the original spatial arrangement sensitively, and the modified interior will then tell the story of the architect, the original owners, the villa, and the whole city," added Deputy Mayor Jakub Chuchlík (Pirates). According to him, European grant funds are allocated for the reconstruction of the Kantor Villa in the ITI program for the Liberec-Jablonec agglomeration, and the reconstruction should take place between 2025 and 2026.

The villa near the Jablonec reservoir was built by physician Alfréd Kantor between 1933 and 1934 according to a design by Heinrich Kulka, a student and close collaborator of the modern architecture classic Adolf Loos. The house resembles the famous Müller Villa in Prague and is one of the most valuable examples of this style in the region. The villa has four floors, and its distinctly cubical forms are broken by an irregular grid of windows. The most striking element of the light facade is the entrance with travertine cladding and glass doors with a grille. The ground floor of the villa is connected to the garden through a terrace.

"This villa was a significant testament to the influence of Adolf Loos on Heinrich Kulka, Loos's student and later long-time collaborator. Unfortunately, in the 1960s, it underwent a fairly radical reconstruction during which a central staircase was added, which essentially denied the main spatial quality of the building. It was conceived as a screw-like sequence of spaces that could be traversed. Only a fragment of the original spatial arrangement remains, however, it is still relatively preserved and the return is possible," Chuchlík added.

The winning design will breathe new life into the structure. "It approaches the preserved interiors with respect while simultaneously adding a contemporary layer, important for the new stage of life of the villa. The original garage is newly repurposed as a lecture hall, children's rooms will function as educational spaces, and the top floor with a terrace will become an exhibition hall. The ground floor can serve as a social space linked to the garden. The garden is an important part of the proposed reconstruction," described the proposal Pavlína Müllerová from the city's architecture office.