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A
rondo-cubist doorway- Palác Akropolis
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The last two decades have brought not only
democracy and a new country but also a lot of new construction both residential
and commercial. There have also been fierce debates about what is being built..
While it is less common today see Cinderella inspired chateau villas there is
still the general notion that contemporary Czech architecture is not
particularly tasteful. Maybe as a reaction to the stuffiness and aesthetic
confusion of the 90’s young Czechs most often prefer “minimalism” a style in
fact older than their grandparents..The prevailng inclination towards
“minimalism” often translates to slightly sterile contemporary interiors from a
big manufacturer.
A rondo-cubist
villa
The debate about design aesthetics
has been part of Czech society since the founding of the country right after
WWI. Although the interwar period is most seen from a functionalist/Bauhaus
perspective there were other styles of building as well.
A specifically Czechoslovak style
was Rondo-Cubism also known as the National style or Czech Art deco and is
based on circles, semi circles and rounded ornamentation. As a result it has
also been referred to as croissant art deco.
Detail of semi detached houses
This style is a softer version of cubism and
art deco. Originally conceived as an architectural expression of the newly
established Czechoslovakia, it was meant to be a style which would give the new
country an aesthetic identity.
In part the crispness of rondo-cubism and art deco was a reaction to
the loose organic forms of art Nouveau which was beginning to be seriously outdated
by the end of the Great War. Both art Nouveau a and art deco though often
drew inspiration from nature or the far East, which is most often seen in the
applied arts.
One of the
few houses with the tricolor scheme.
The two main advocates of rondo cubism were
architects Josef Gočár and Pavel Janák who looked to old folk architecture for inspiration.
The style was meant for the masses of the new country in contrast to art deco
which sought to present glamour and sophistication to the urban elite. It is therefore
not very common to see items of everyday use made in this style. Although not
very popular with architectural establishment of the day who saw the style as somewhat
vernacular it was popular with the public
in the interwar period .Evidence are middle class villas and some apartment houses in bigger towns and in
Prague.
The detail of an original wooden fence.
Right after WWI Gočár and Janák were
able to secure commissions from state institutions which was crucial in
introducing the style to the wider public. To further emphasize the patriotic nature of rondo –cubism they intended
for all rondo-cubist public building to
be painted in the Czechoslovak national colors of red blue and white a combinational that works surprisingly well
and gives the facades a three dimensional aspect. The Legions Bank or the Adria
Palace in Prague are the best known examples.
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| The façade of
Palác Akropolis |
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Rondo
cubist nesting tables
Image courtesy of : http://hnn.cz/2004-maturitni-prace-umelecko-remeslne-zpracovani-dreva/
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Over the last few years there has been growing
interest and scholarship in rondo-cubism as many of the buildings are being repaired
though few have kept the original tricolor facades. A good eye and a stroll
from Vinohrady to Vršovice will give those interested an opportunity to
become more familiar this art- deco offshoot.
I often wonder what architectural style the post communist Czech
Republic will be remembered for.
P.S –My photographic
skills are not the BEST.
