Czech architects and the beginnings of tourism on the Croatian Adriatic

12. April - 18. June 2017

9th edition of International festival of architecture, design and art Archikultura 2017
Regional Gallery of Fine Arts in Zlín /KGVU Zlín/ Exibition April 12 – June 18, 2017
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On Wednesday, April 12th, an exhibition CZECH ARCHITECTS AND THE BEGINNINGS OF TOURISM ON THE CROATIAN ADRIATIC will open at the Regional Gallery of Fine Arts in Zlín.

The exhibition presents architectural projects, drawings and photographs of tourism architecture – hotels, villas and bathhouses – designed by Czech architects on the Croatian Adriatic in the late 19th and early 20th century. The exhibition aims to show the influence and contribution of Czech architects to the design of tourism architecture on the Croatian Adriatic coast at the very beginnings of tourism development.

Many Czech architects designed tourism architecture on the Croatian Adriatic, namely August Johann Belohlavek, Matěj Blecha, Josip (Josef) Dryák, Josef Hoffmann, Karl Holey, Wilhelm Jelinek, Lav Kalda, Fritz Keller, Jan Kotĕra, Emil Králíček, Karel Kotas, Rudolf Krausz, Karl Lehrmann, Adolf Loos, Karel Pařík (Karlo Paržik), August Prokop, Josef Prokop, Josef Schulz, Carl Seidl, Jiří Stibral, Adolf Tichy and Alois Zima. During the preparation of the exhibition in the Czech Republic, architects Karel Kotas and Zdenek Síla were also found to have designed on the Adriatic coast (after World War Two). Some of the Czech architects settled permanently in Croatia, for example Josip (Josef) Dryák, Lav Kalda and Zdenek Síla.
The exhibition includes architectural design projects by well-known architects such as Jan Kotěra, Carl Seidl, Emil Králíček, Josef Schulz, Adolf Loos, Josef Hoffmann and others who taught at technical colleges in Prague and Vienna.
The design for a hotel in Opatija from 1909 by Jan Kotěra is an example of high quality and standard in designing tourism architecture. This project was a herald of new trends in architecture which were soon to appear.
Without a doubt, Czech architects made a significant imprint on the shaping of tourism area on the Croatian Adriatic at the very beginnings of tourism development. Some of the hotels that “survived” nowadays contribute to the memory of space and make up architectural tourism attractions in their respective tourist destinations.
It is safe to say that Czech architects contributed to the making of the Croatian Adriatic.
The exhibition is accompanied by a 144-page catalogue in three languages (Czech, English, Croatian).
Presentation of the exhibition in the Czech Republic was initiated by the Cabinet of Architecture in cooperation and with the support by the Gallery of Fine Arts in Ostrava and other institutions (National Technical Museum, National Gallery, National Heritage Institute, Vítkovice Tour, Picturesque Towns Association and Czech Television).
In 2014 and 2015, the exhibition was on display in Croatia at the initiative of the Institute for Tourism in Zagreb, State Archives in Rijeka and the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Zagreb.

The exhibition and the catalogue were prepared by architect Jasenka Kranjčević (Institute for Tourism in Zagreb) and curator Mirjana Kos (Croatian Museum of Tourism in Opatija). Catalogue concept by Tadeáš Goryczka and Jaroslav Němec.

For more information see: kabinetarchitektury.cz