Czech Architects: František Bílek a Villa as a Reflection of his Soul
Symbolist and front representative of Art Nouveau style implanted into the design of his own luxurious villa his own ideas about the world and about his own person, too. He himself worked on the exterior and interior design after he obtained the plot of land in Chodkovy sady and within a period of from 1910 to 1911 he created here a house to suit his lifestyle; his very own villa.
Symbolist in the real meaning of the word
After the famous sculptor, illustrator and painter moved to Prague with his wife, he exchanged the plot of land with architect Procházka to gain a place with a beautiful view of the city. His original intention was for the house to be luxurious, attracting looks of those passing by. His creation too was admirable, mysterious and full of symbols. We can be consider him to be the pioneer of conceptual arts.
Stone becomes alive in Bílek´s hands
In particular his statues were given a special spiritual dimension, since during his life the author examined the various journeys of the human soul, being inclined to religion, mysticism, esotericism. Then again, others were inspired by the personalities of the Czech nation, to whom Bílek paid tribute through his statuary art. The statues thus became memorials of faded past.
A house as a temple
He chose plain masonry as the building material; fitting the house with a flat roof and embellishing it by a peristyle like a Greek temple. He saw himself as a preacher and his art was to bring people closer to God. For example, the dining room is reminiscent of a sacral area, there is even a Calvary. Stone portals separated the individual rooms, for example the orangery with its luxurious furnishings. The wash basin in the studio is in the form of a baptistery. Quotations from the Bible may be found scattered around the entire house - engraved into furniture, gracing the doors and stone panelling.
Atypical luxury villa
Half of the house is occupied by an atelier extending over two floors; the ground plan of the house is reminiscent of a movement of a scythe. The house is untraditional also by its asymmetry, where it is on one side decorated by the peristyle, and on the other by a balcony. The luxurious villa is basically a work of art. Today it houses a museum which was after the artist´s death opened by his wife and daughter. They themselves guided the interested parties around the house. Due to financial reasons they then donated the villa to the State.
The villa is owned by the Gallery of the Capital City of Prague, having undergone a costly and sensitive reconstruction, inviting guests for a tour.
