Written by Wallpaper* contributor, Prague-based architectural historian and writer Adam Štěch, and beautifully shot by photographer Tomáš Souček, this modernist architecture map is a visual feast – as well as a useful tool – about exploring the beautiful European city of Prague. Published by Blue Crow Media, Modern Prague Map, released this month, celebrates 20th century architecture in the Czech Republic capital.
The travel guide is a two-sided and bilingual print that includes a map of the city, as well as an introductory essay and information on fifty notable buildings – all of which are marked on the map. The rich selection of buildings spans the 20th century, including work by architects such as Vlastislav Hofman, Adolf Loos, Věra Machoninová and her husband Vladimír Machonín – and many more.
The featured buildings offer a wide range of typologies and scales, from large scale works, such as multi-family housing to department stores, to more boutique designs, such as homes or urban furniture. Highlights include Emil Králíček’s Cubist lamp post, the Modernist Baba Housing Estate, Martin Rainer’s apartment building and the New Stage of the National Theatre by Prager, the artist S. Libenský and the sculptor J. Brychtová.
‘Important historical events are imprinted on the walls of Prague's architecture,' says Štěch. ‘In almost every street in Prague we can find various examples of architecture from all decades of the last century; from the phenomenon that is Czech Cubism to our unique take on Postmodernism and High-Tech architecture.’
Modern Prague Map is part of a series of architectural guides from Blue Crow Media - other publications include similar projects that focus on modernist and brutalist architecture in places such as Berlin, Chicago and London.
Main Train Station Extension by Přístavba Hlavního nádraží, Josef Danda, Jan Bočan, Jan Šrámek, Alena Šrámková, Zdeněk Rothbauer, 1972-79
Palace of Culture (Now Conference Palace) by Palác kultury (Dnes Konferenční palác), Jaroslav Mayer, Jaroslav Trávníček, Josef Karlík, Ivan Lejčar, 1974-81
Kotva Department Store / Obchodní dům Kotva, Věra Machoninová, Vladimír Machonin, 1970-75
The New Stage of the National Theatre / Nová scéna Národního divadla, Karel Prager, Stanislav Libenský, Jaroslava Brychtova, 1977-83
Legion Bank / Banka československých legií, Josef Gočár, 1921-23
Apartment Building on Neklanova Street / Obytná budova, Josef Chocho, 1912-14
Villa Winternitz / Winternitzova vila, Adolf Loos, Karel Lhota, 1931-32
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