Antonín Viktor Barvitius: moderní architekt za času historismu - výstava v NTK

Antonín Viktor Barvitius was born on July 14, 1823, in Prague. His buildings profoundly influenced the appearance of Prague. In addition, he impacted the field of design by designing standardized liturgical vessels and utensils for the Christian Academy from 1875, of which he was a founding member.
The National Technical Museum possesses an extensive collection of Barvitius's plans that survived the devastating flood in 2002 and underwent a demanding restoration. The core of the exhibition therefore consists of drawings from the NTM Architecture and Construction Archive, supplemented by photographs showing the current state of Barvitius's buildings, a model of the Lippmann Villa in Bubeneč, and loans of artifacts created according to Barvitius's designs.
“The exhibition presents Barvitius as an architect whose work transcends the confines of historicism, not only through the use of modern materials such as concrete and structural iron or steel, but also as an architect who emphasized elementary geometry and the holistic nature of projects. The German-speaking Barvitius identified as a Czech as an inhabitant of the Kingdom of Bohemia and worked on distinctly patriotic commissions. His vast, still-preserved library is also a testament to the intellectual rigor and immense integrity of his work,” states the exhibition's author, Prof. Pavel Kalina.