A book about the architecture of villas and family houses in Hradec Králové is being released
The book “ Villas and Family Houses in Hradec Králové 1900‒1950“ is being published, which presents one hundred three family homes from the years 1900 to 1950 in fifty entries across one hundred sixty pages. The editor of the book is architectural historian Ladislav Zikmund-Lender, who has been focusing on modern architecture in the city for a long time, and the book is complemented by one hundred twenty photographs by Jiří Zikmund.
The city of Hradec Králové was bound by classical fortifications for most of the 19th century. The fortress was dismantled starting in the 1870s, freeing up vast plots of land for the construction of the new city. Along the Orlice waterfront, in an area known as Morušovka (named after mulberries), the first villas began to emerge after 1902. They were built in the neo-Renaissance style by Václav Rejchl senior. Another villa district emerged on the border of Hradec Králové and the Prague Suburb. The first villas began to rise along Střelecká Street between 1908 and 1910, with more built here after World War I, forming the largest villa district. Regulatory plans from 1885, 1904, 1908-1909, and 1925-1927 envisioned many more villa districts. Václav Rejchl junior, Vladimír Zákrejs, and Josef Šejna designed a villa district in the northern sector of the city, which was to take the form of a working-class garden city, while Oldřich Liska and Otakar Klumpar proposed a large villa district in the southwestern part, adjacent to a workers' quarter. Josef Gočár aimed to develop the southeastern part with family houses and row houses and also planned to complete the Orlická basin, which lacked a center and civic amenities.
The release of the book is a continuation of the online database of modern architecture called the Hradec Králové Architectural Manual, which gathers and presents knowledge about individual buildings in Hradec Králové. The book includes an introductory study on villa architecture and planning of villa districts in Hradec Králové, contemporary photographs showcasing overall views of individual buildings as well as remarkable details, historical plans, photographs, a comprehensive map, and an English summary.
“Some villas are already well-known to the public, such as Wipler's villa, Schmidt's villa, Liska's villa, villas by Vladimír Fultner, but we also wanted to include lesser-known treasures in the book. For example, some villas in the suburbs of Hradec, in Kukleny, in Nový Hradec Králové, in the Moravian suburb, and especially two villas by builder František Komárek in Svobodné Dvory, which represented the most modern architecture of that time visible in Hradec. We did not forget the works of German-speaking creators, represented by two villas of the significant Jewish architect Kurt Spielmann. Attention is also given to the phenomena of second homes presented by the surrounding cottage areas, impoverished housing, as evidenced by the uniquely preserved wagon colony in Malšovice, and working-class housing, which manifested mainly in the wartime working-class district in Slezské Předměstí,” explains author and editor Ladislav Zikmund-Lender. “Of course, I personally have several favorite buildings, such as the decorative row houses on Vrchlickéo Street by builder Josef Mudra, each of which is different. Mudra's story, from a surveyor to a builder and inventor, is fascinating,” adds Zikmund-Lender.
The original graphic design of the book was done by graphic designer Jakub Horský from the Hradec Králové studio Upupaepop. This studio also has its own printing house, engages in traditional graphic and printing techniques, and produces products made from paper, fabrics, and unconventional materials. Their production includes original notebooks, pads, postcards, games, accessories, and annually also calendars and diaries. They are also responsible for the graphic identity of the Open Air Festival and other events in Hradec Králové.
The book is distributed nationwide by Kosmas and in individual bookstores throughout the Czech Republic, including Hradec Králové. The publication of the book was supported by the City Hall of Hradec Králové.
Video from the book launch >
The city of Hradec Králové was bound by classical fortifications for most of the 19th century. The fortress was dismantled starting in the 1870s, freeing up vast plots of land for the construction of the new city. Along the Orlice waterfront, in an area known as Morušovka (named after mulberries), the first villas began to emerge after 1902. They were built in the neo-Renaissance style by Václav Rejchl senior. Another villa district emerged on the border of Hradec Králové and the Prague Suburb. The first villas began to rise along Střelecká Street between 1908 and 1910, with more built here after World War I, forming the largest villa district. Regulatory plans from 1885, 1904, 1908-1909, and 1925-1927 envisioned many more villa districts. Václav Rejchl junior, Vladimír Zákrejs, and Josef Šejna designed a villa district in the northern sector of the city, which was to take the form of a working-class garden city, while Oldřich Liska and Otakar Klumpar proposed a large villa district in the southwestern part, adjacent to a workers' quarter. Josef Gočár aimed to develop the southeastern part with family houses and row houses and also planned to complete the Orlická basin, which lacked a center and civic amenities.
The release of the book is a continuation of the online database of modern architecture called the Hradec Králové Architectural Manual, which gathers and presents knowledge about individual buildings in Hradec Králové. The book includes an introductory study on villa architecture and planning of villa districts in Hradec Králové, contemporary photographs showcasing overall views of individual buildings as well as remarkable details, historical plans, photographs, a comprehensive map, and an English summary.
“Some villas are already well-known to the public, such as Wipler's villa, Schmidt's villa, Liska's villa, villas by Vladimír Fultner, but we also wanted to include lesser-known treasures in the book. For example, some villas in the suburbs of Hradec, in Kukleny, in Nový Hradec Králové, in the Moravian suburb, and especially two villas by builder František Komárek in Svobodné Dvory, which represented the most modern architecture of that time visible in Hradec. We did not forget the works of German-speaking creators, represented by two villas of the significant Jewish architect Kurt Spielmann. Attention is also given to the phenomena of second homes presented by the surrounding cottage areas, impoverished housing, as evidenced by the uniquely preserved wagon colony in Malšovice, and working-class housing, which manifested mainly in the wartime working-class district in Slezské Předměstí,” explains author and editor Ladislav Zikmund-Lender. “Of course, I personally have several favorite buildings, such as the decorative row houses on Vrchlickéo Street by builder Josef Mudra, each of which is different. Mudra's story, from a surveyor to a builder and inventor, is fascinating,” adds Zikmund-Lender.
The original graphic design of the book was done by graphic designer Jakub Horský from the Hradec Králové studio Upupaepop. This studio also has its own printing house, engages in traditional graphic and printing techniques, and produces products made from paper, fabrics, and unconventional materials. Their production includes original notebooks, pads, postcards, games, accessories, and annually also calendars and diaries. They are also responsible for the graphic identity of the Open Air Festival and other events in Hradec Králové.
The book is distributed nationwide by Kosmas and in individual bookstores throughout the Czech Republic, including Hradec Králové. The publication of the book was supported by the City Hall of Hradec Králové.
Video from the book launch >
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