U dubu 26 Villa

Welcome to Prague's Braník. You're standing in front of a building that looks very clean and sparkly at first glance, but it has a fascinating story about friendship and modern thinking in architecture. In front of you is a family double villa, which is a great representative of a style called functionalism. Notice how it dominates space with its simplicity and how it fits into the surroundings of this part of Prague four. It is a place where practical use of space with aesthetic purity is encountered, which was the peak of modernity at the time of its creation.

Let us now stop at how this building was created. Transfer your mind to the year one thousand nine hundred twenty-nine. At that time buildings began to appear in Prague, which gave up unnecessary decorations and focused on the actual function of the house. It was this year that this double villa was built. However, it was not just an ordinary construction for sale, but a project with a very personal character. The author of the whole design was the renowned architect Ludvík Hilgert. His vision was to create space that would serve two close friends, and that is why this unique building was created.

Now pay attention to the architecture itself and to what you see right in front of you. Look at the overall shape of the building. It's what experts call a mirror design. This means that both halves of the house are designed as precise reflections of each other. Thanks to this solution, two separate houses are connected into one harmonious unit. Note the simple plastered facade, which has no unnecessary bullies or decorative moldings. It is this purity that underpins a functionalist approach.

If you look more closely at the facade, your eye will surely attract a glazed bay. This exiting element with windows allows the inside of the house to penetrate maximum daylight while breaking the surface of the wall, thereby giving the building lightness and dynamics. It's a detail that at the time meant a modern way of life and openness to the outside world.

This building isn't just about concrete and glass, it's about the people who lived in it. As I mentioned, one part of the house served as a living place for the architect Louis Hilgert himself. The other half of the house belonged to the sculptor Josef Kotyz. So imagine this place as a common space for two creators, one in the construction area, and the other in the plastic arts. It is very likely that there have been many deep talks about art, form and space in these areas.

Interestingly, the house was developing slightly over time. If you look at the first floor of the part that belonged to Louis Hilgert, you will admit that there was an extension of space in the year 1,900-39th. The architect thus adjusted his own home to better meet his needs while trying to preserve the overall character of the building.

You might be interested in the oddity of this place. The whole concept of a mirror house was brave at the time. The idea that two people with different professions but a common perception of beauty will live in houses that are the image mirror of each other is very poetic. It's a symbol of balance and mutual respect between an architect and a sculptor. So this building is not just an ordinary apartment, but an embodiment of a certain philosophy of life and creation.

Given the importance of this object for the history of Czech architecture, it was decided to protect it. Since the year one thousand nine hundred and ninety-first, this double villa has been registered in the register of real cultural monuments of the Czech Republic. This means that the State recognises its irreplaceable value and ensures that its original form is preserved for future generations.

When you stand before this building today, feel the atmosphere of peace and order that radiates from it. It is a monument to a time when it was believed that architecture could improve the quality of human life with its simplicity and logic. Ludvík Hilgert and Josef Kotyza have created a place here that even after nearly 100 years is fresh and modern.

Before we say goodbye and you go on to discover Braník, I suggest you go around the building for a while and watch it change its view of mirror composition from different angles. Notice how the light is reflected in the glazed surfaces and how the line of the entire object is purely active.

Thank you for your short journey through the history of this house. I hope you're interested in this story about two friends and their home together. I wish you a pleasant further walk and many other beautiful experiences in our city. Goodbye.