The renovated studio of sculptor Šaloun serves students
Prague - The Art Nouveau studio of the sculptor Ladislav Šaloun (1870 to 1946) in Prague's Vinohrady has undergone reconstruction after decades of neglect and now serves the needs of art students. The renovation of the studio received one of the awards in the Building of the Year competition last fall. A plaque commemorating this award was unveiled today on the building by representatives of the city, the investor, the author of the reconstruction, and those who use the studio, namely representatives of the Academy of Fine Arts.
As part of the Building of the Year competition, the jury awards five prizes without distinguishing their order; the reconstruction of the studio received one of the special awards, the prize of the Mayor of Prague. "The jury did not select the reconstruction of Šaloun's studio even for the second round of evaluation," said the chairwoman of the jury, Radomíra Sedláková, today. However, according to her, this was not because they found the renovation of the building to be of poor quality, as many buildings enter the competition and the jurors are said to be able to personally see a maximum of 30 of them. "The mayor indicated to us that he has his own thoughts about the jury's deliberation," she stated.
The Mayor of Prague's prize was awarded for the second time this year, the first recipient being the costly reconstruction of the Musical Theatre in Karlín. "I hope that the award was given not only as a recognition of the building itself but that it heralds what will interest Prague in the future - that cultural and educational buildings will come forward and the jury will certainly come to inspect them," Sedláková added.
The glass hall of the studio is a separate part of the former Šaloun Art Nouveau villa on Slovanská Street, built in 1911 according to his own design. The sculptor worked here on his first major commission - the monument of Master Jan Hus for the Old Town Square - and lived here until his death. The balcony above the studio had a direct connection to the apartment. Characteristic is the lighting, exclusively from above and from the north through the windows.
Šaloun is one of the prominent representatives of Czech Art Nouveau. His sculptural works adorn, among others, the Municipal House, the main railway station, the New Town Hall in the Old Town, and other Prague buildings. After the war, there was a brief exhibition of his sculptures in the studio. But later, the villa was separated from the studio, and the entire space was closed to the public.
The Academy of Fine Arts has managed the studio since 2001, when it was handed over by the Czech Art Foundation. A few years ago, the school created a new teaching program for a visiting lecturer. However, the existing spaces were not sufficient for this program, so they utilized the newly acquired space.
The reconstruction of the studio, which has a very rich tradition associated with names like Alfons Mucha, Ema Destinnová, Jan Kubelík, and Josef Váchal, was led by architect Michal Bartošek. It lasted from October 2006 to September 2007 and cost 18 million crowns, which came from the Ministry of Education and the AVU budget. Along with several years of restoration surveys mapping the technical condition of the building, the work took four years.
As part of the Building of the Year competition, the jury awards five prizes without distinguishing their order; the reconstruction of the studio received one of the special awards, the prize of the Mayor of Prague. "The jury did not select the reconstruction of Šaloun's studio even for the second round of evaluation," said the chairwoman of the jury, Radomíra Sedláková, today. However, according to her, this was not because they found the renovation of the building to be of poor quality, as many buildings enter the competition and the jurors are said to be able to personally see a maximum of 30 of them. "The mayor indicated to us that he has his own thoughts about the jury's deliberation," she stated.
The Mayor of Prague's prize was awarded for the second time this year, the first recipient being the costly reconstruction of the Musical Theatre in Karlín. "I hope that the award was given not only as a recognition of the building itself but that it heralds what will interest Prague in the future - that cultural and educational buildings will come forward and the jury will certainly come to inspect them," Sedláková added.
The glass hall of the studio is a separate part of the former Šaloun Art Nouveau villa on Slovanská Street, built in 1911 according to his own design. The sculptor worked here on his first major commission - the monument of Master Jan Hus for the Old Town Square - and lived here until his death. The balcony above the studio had a direct connection to the apartment. Characteristic is the lighting, exclusively from above and from the north through the windows.
Šaloun is one of the prominent representatives of Czech Art Nouveau. His sculptural works adorn, among others, the Municipal House, the main railway station, the New Town Hall in the Old Town, and other Prague buildings. After the war, there was a brief exhibition of his sculptures in the studio. But later, the villa was separated from the studio, and the entire space was closed to the public.
The Academy of Fine Arts has managed the studio since 2001, when it was handed over by the Czech Art Foundation. A few years ago, the school created a new teaching program for a visiting lecturer. However, the existing spaces were not sufficient for this program, so they utilized the newly acquired space.
The reconstruction of the studio, which has a very rich tradition associated with names like Alfons Mucha, Ema Destinnová, Jan Kubelík, and Josef Váchal, was led by architect Michal Bartošek. It lasted from October 2006 to September 2007 and cost 18 million crowns, which came from the Ministry of Education and the AVU budget. Along with several years of restoration surveys mapping the technical condition of the building, the work took four years.
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