The new exhibition will provide an insight into architect Adolf Loos's connections to Pilsen

Plzeň - The new exhibition of the West Bohemian Gallery aims to present the connections of one of the masters of modern architecture, Adolf Loos, to Plzeň, to bring closer his work in the city, his collaborators, clients, and to showcase the fates of the apartments he designed. In the hall "13", portraits of Loos's first clients are presented, along with a model of his first work in Plzeň. This was stated by the exhibition authors Petr Domanický and Petr Jindra at a press conference. The exhibition Loos - Plzeň - connections will be open until February 12.
    "Recently, there has been much discussion and writing about the unique collection of residential interiors designed by Adolf Loos in Plzeň. However, little is known about who Loos's clients here were, why so many of his works originated here, and why they are concentrated near today's Klatovská Street. We are trying to answer that," said Domanický.
    The first part of the exhibition is dedicated to today’s Klatovská Street, which was the best address in the city between the wars. The second part introduces clients, especially among factory owners, merchants, and doctors. Loos's collaborators in Plzeň, architects Karel Lhota and Norbert Krieger, are also presented. Visitors will see artworks related to Loos's apartments and Plzeň's clients. An original portrait of Hedvika Liebsteinová by Kalmán Kemény will be displayed, and reproductions of portraits of Wilhelm and Martha Hirsch, the first Loos clients in Plzeň, created in 1909 by Oskar Kokoschka, a friend of Loos, will be shown. "Loos arranged for people who had themselves portrayed by him, and he promised that if the person rejected the portrait made, he would take it himself. Thus, he helped Kokoschka existentially," explained Jindra.
    He pointed out that Loos had nothing to do with functionalism, as is sometimes stated. "His model was the type of English house, and he used traditional materials," added Jindra.
    The last part of the exhibition is dedicated to the fates of Loos's apartments and their clients from World War II to the present day. In Plzeň, Loos, who was brought to the city by the German Jewish bourgeoisie, created about ten interiors. Six to seven are preserved to varying extents. Only one has returned to the hands of the original family. The other objects belong to the city.
    Visitors will see a model of the interior of the so-called Hirsch House and an apartment on Plachého Street. "The model will present the reconstruction of Loos's first realization in Plzeň and one of his first realizations in Bohemia, complemented by the cooperation between Loos and Karel Lhota in the late 1920s. The apartment, which unfortunately did not survive, has significant importance in terms of architectural development in Bohemia," noted Domanický.
    The exhibition is part of a project designed to help revitalize Loos's interiors and present them to the public in 2015 when Plzeň will be the European Capital of Culture.