Plzeň had a very valuable bedroom designed by architect Loose repaired

Plzeň - Last year, Plzeň had an exceptionally valuable bedroom designed by architect Adolf Loos restored in the house at Plachého Street 6. The building belonged to the Jewish Hirsch family, for whom the architect secured his first commission in Plzeň. During the furniture repairs, experts placed great emphasis on authenticity and the preservation of as many original elements as possible. The bedroom is the only room that has survived from Loos's work in the building at Plachého 6, said Martin Baxa (ODS), the mayor's deputy for culture, to ČTK. The repair cost 565,000 crowns, of which 449,000 crowns was a subsidy.

"Loos received the commission from the Hirsch family in 1907, when he completely reconstructed the apartment on the first floor. However, only the ceiling above the dining room remained from this realization, the rest was destroyed during socialism," Baxa said. Twenty years later, Loos continued with modifications of other spaces in the building. This involved a courtyard annex with a covered veranda and a boudoir, as well as adapting the apartment of the owners' son, Richard. The living room was dismantled in the 1980s and is now installed in Prague after restoration. Thus, only the bedroom remained in the building.

According to heritage protector Karel Zloch, the bedroom was created at a time when Loos was at the peak of his creativity. The room features the typical furniture for him built into the perimeter walls. "Loos emphasized perfect and thoughtful functionality. The wardrobes are equipped with shelves, drawers, and in the coat cupboard, we find carefully concealed doors of a safe," he said. In the spirit of Loos's pioneering rejection of artificial decorativeism, the surfaces are smooth, without ornaments. The doors of the cupboards and wall coverings were covered with exotic textile wallpaper. However, someone had previously torn it out, so during the reconstruction, experts sought a new one, similar in color and fiber type. The supplier brought it from the Pacific."

The goal was to preserve as much authenticity and originality as possible. For instance, the green frames of the wardrobes, where the long-standing paint was already worn, were not completely repainted by the restorers, but were intricately repaired and supplemented only in the damaged sections. The original paint was restored during the renovation.

Plzeň, along with Vienna, is a city where Loos realized most of his designs. However, Plzeň offers the greatest opportunity for the public to view pre-war interiors. The interiors have great value for the city from a tourism perspective. Since last year, three guided tour routes have been made available, showcasing four of Loos's interiors. Thanks to this, the number of tourists from Austria sharply increased last year, with 138% more accommodation compared to 2014.