František Vahala
*3. 7. 1881 – Hustopeče nad Bečvou, Czech Republic
†24. 3. 1942 – Prague, Czech Republic
Biography
He graduated from the School of Applied Arts in Prague under Jan Kotěra and Stanislav Sucharda and subsequently worked in the architectural office of Otakar Novotný and later with Antonín Balšánek in the office for the construction of the Municipal House in Prague. In 1911, he established his own architectural practice. In his work, he did not only focus on architecture but also participated in the design of interiors and furniture. He was a member of the Society of Fine Artists Mánes.
As one of Jan Kotěra's first students, he was a convinced modern architect from the beginning. He provided his work with a solid practical and technical foundation; this allowed it to be realized even in times unfavorable to the new direction. His skill in various artistic fields and in the applied arts was evident in the perfect resolution of detail also from an aesthetic perspective; it allowed him to master the whole for a unified expression. The character of his work was determined by the original orientation of Kotěra's school; there were no deviations, but rather a gradual development from a purely artistic perspective in a new functionalist outlook, always with a constant main focus on aesthetics. His buildings are simple, matter-of-fact, harmonious, in a constantly similar yet increasingly refined spirit; they did not undergo various deviations that once filled our architectural community; they remain somewhat aside from the tide, but in doing so acquire a distinctive expression.
He graduated from the School of Applied Arts in Prague under Jan Kotěra and Stanislav Sucharda and subsequently worked in the architectural office of Otakar Novotný and later with Antonín Balšánek in the office for the construction of the Municipal House in Prague. In 1911, he established his own architectural practice. In his work, he did not only focus on architecture but also participated in the design of interiors and furniture. He was a member of the Society of Fine Artists Mánes.
As one of Jan Kotěra's first students, he was a convinced modern architect from the beginning. He provided his work with a solid practical and technical foundation; this allowed it to be realized even in times unfavorable to the new direction. His skill in various artistic fields and in the applied arts was evident in the perfect resolution of detail also from an aesthetic perspective; it allowed him to master the whole for a unified expression. The character of his work was determined by the original orientation of Kotěra's school; there were no deviations, but rather a gradual development from a purely artistic perspective in a new functionalist outlook, always with a constant main focus on aesthetics. His buildings are simple, matter-of-fact, harmonious, in a constantly similar yet increasingly refined spirit; they did not undergo various deviations that once filled our architectural community; they remain somewhat aside from the tide, but in doing so acquire a distinctive expression.
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