There had once been a beautiful baroque garden with a chateau of aristocrat John Christopher Borek on the territory of today's residential area of Orechovka (literal translation in English = Nutty Liquor). The garden was designed as the French style park with sculptures. Borek´s villa with the garden disappeared in 1742 during an artillery battle between the French army occupying Prague and the German army in the so called "Austrian heritage war". Then a place of the former garden served as artillery stores and artillery laboratories (this is evidenced by a number of names of local streets (Artillery Street, Arsenal Street , At Laboratory Street...)
Red sign:"Artillery Street", Blue sign: "Barracks in place. In the western part of the street (between the At Laboratory Street and Connected Sreet) are still barracks, where artillerymen used to be "
Establishment of the Czechoslovak Republic in 1918 caused fundamental change for the area of the former Borek´s garden - the construction of a large residential area. The needs of the capital included housing ensuring for new ministries officials and also construction of new embassies. Name of the new colony - Orechovka originated from the former designation Borekovka, like Borek´s garden.
When the Ministry of Public Works has announced a tender for the construction of family houses for "Building Cooperative for Government and Other Public Employees" in 1919, the area between Buštěhradská railway and road Střešovická was destined for garden city of "howard" type. Houses in this new location should, accordning to the intent, contain about 15% of one-room and the same number of four-room flats, two-and three-room flats dominated - by 35%.
The tender was attended by many well-known and (at that time) far less well-known Czech architects, among them Jindrich Freiwald, Bohumil Hübschmann, Frantisek Vahala, Eduard Hnilicka and Ladislav Machon. One of the conditions of tender was to ensure ownership of a part of a yard and a garden for each apartment. Variation of the house types - terraced, semi-detached and detached should prevent monotony of built-up area. The winning project of the tender (designed by architect Jaroslav Vondrak and Jan Senkyr) became the basis for a definitive layout of this urban residential area.
Bird´s eye view of Ořechovka
Particular parts of the development were mostly designed and implemented in accordance with modified types of houses designed by architects who were in the tender at the forefront. In this way uniformity was avoided quite successfully. The greater part of terraced houses in Klidna (Quiet) Street and Delostrelecka (Artillery) Street was designed by Jindrich Freiwald, a number of houses in Zapadni (West) Street and Lomena (Broken) Street by Jaroslav Vondrak (who shows himself as a modernist related to the so-called cottage houses - villas of English garden towns, which represented one of the lines of the Prague urbanism of 20th), houses in the Pod Vyhlídkou (Under Vista) Street by Eduard Hnilicka, houses in Na Klinku ( On the Wedge) Street and Pod Orechovkou Street by Bohumil Hübschmann, in Delostrelecka (Artillery) Street and Zbrojnicka (Arsenal) Street Frantisek Vahala, etc. It is noteworthy that this first wave of construction (1920 - 1922) situationally almost perfectly correspondes with the layout of Vondrak and Senkyr proposal for the tender.
The original building plan of Orechovka
Villas arose around the original Orechovka during the twenties, however this time mostly on individual designes. In the same period residential villas were built in Pod Hradbami (Below Walls) street. Construction of villas continued further west to Veleslavin in the thirties. During the inter-war period Orechovka became one of the best locations for living.
Stresovice is said to be artists district, yet in your walk you will be surprised how many painters and sculptors, whose names are known and famous, lived there. But the situation in Stresovice is similar to that in other parts of Prague - no 'Stresovice' art, even if you can not conceal that many of painters, for example Vincent Benes or Karel Holan (in Stresovicky) found interesting motifs also in Brevnov and in Stresovice. Orechovka, however, was for most artists just a nice, quiet and relatively calm address, like for other for instance Sporilov.
By way of introduction I offer a situation map of the walk connecting all major monuments in Orechovka (about four hours, of course the walk can also be shortened):
Our walk starts right on the square in front of the central building on the main square
„Main“ (Machar) square
Residental area Orechovka (originally Vorechovka) was designed from the town planning point of view homogenously (1919-1929), and therefore, of course, the central square was taken into consideration since the very beginning. The central square is situated to the south of the so-called central building, which became a commercial and social center of the residential colony. The square was completed in 1926. The name "Main Square" was not just an unofficial name. According to the original project the school should be built on the square in front of the central building. Later, however, it was proven that for children from Orechovka will suffice three-storey school building in the nearby old Stresovice. Yet garden town, separated with undeveloped territory from other buildings of Stresovice, needed a central space. A definitive design of the area, which proposed the permanent preservation of square function, was worked out by architect Alois Dryak and was implemented in 1927. Tennis courts, playground and toboggan runs were sensitively located in the middle of the park. Memorial to the fallen in the First World War was erected in the top of the square. The area was given an official name - Na Orechovce (On Orechovka) Square - in 1930. In 1960th the name was changed to the Machar's Square in tribute to poet Josef Svatopluk Machar, who lived for many years in a villa in the near Cukrovarnická (Sugar Mill) Street.
The central building
The central building
Na Orechovce 30b, Stresovice 250
The central building, or "club and consumer" building, designed by Jaroslav Vondrak in 1921 and built concurrently with residential houses, became a commercial and social center of the colony. As you can see, architect Vondrak, when creating its main facade facing the Machar square, oscillated on pyramidal and cubist forms interface.
The central building under construction
A number of shops, markets, cinema, restaurant, cafe with a wine bar and physicians found their rooms in new central building. In 1927 the social significance of this building even further increased due to extension with a new theater and a dance hall. Also, there was a library, post office and clubroom. This is the kind of first form in today's concept of the "amenities" - the core of this residential complex.
Continue passing the passage with movie theater, one of the few traditional pre-war cinemas, which still has not stopped its operation. In the suburbs of Prague today we can find operating besides cinema Orechovka only Aero cinema in Zizkov and Oko (Eye) cinema in Holesovice, but only one of them Orechovka! offers movies and theater programs together.
Art Deco Movie Theater
We get to the very core of the original "Vorechovka" in the style of English garden cities - so-called "cottage"being built since 1919, i.e. we are passing Spojena (Connected) Street,
We are walking on leftwards through Delostrelecka (Artillery) and to the right through Klidna (Quiet) Street
The intersection of the two streets creates here a triangular square, which is the core area of standardized small houses built in the style of rondocubism. This style can be seen only in the Czech lands. This is actually a Czech variation of an international art deco style. It is interesting that art deco style proper occurs in the Czech inland very rarely ( replaced just by rondocubism). Art deco on the contrary, is strongly to be found in the former Sudetenland, where the prevailing German population prefered art deco clear to functionalism throughout the 20th and 30th.
After the establishment of the new Czechoslovak Republic edge, toe and gray in architecture were declared in areas with a predominance of Czech settlement as defeated Germanic character, while roundness and color were attributed to winning Slavs. The pyramidal cubism finished, colored "national style", also known as rondocubism, arc-shaped cubism, Czech art deco style or Legiobank style, ( according to the most important buildings built in this style) succeeded . It may seem that this style has more names than completed structures.
Houses in rondocubism style
At the end of a quiet street we are turning left to Pod Orechovkou Street and Pod Vyhlidkou Street into Lomena Street.
Houses designed by Jaroslav Vondrák and Jan Šenk in the years 1920 - 1922 imitate English cottages morphology of garden towns - Bedford Park, Hampstead and Letchford, with their typical triangular gables, narrow rectangular windows, high chimneys and half-timbered masonry bond.
Terraced houses in Lomena (Angled) Street
We are turning right to Na Orechovce street, the main Orechovka artery, where we are meeting beautiful houses decorated with Art Deco shaped grapes ...
...and a romantic villa "from the Californian cliff "...
..... and we are going on around the green belt surrounding the northwestern part of Orechovka and among trees we can see a representative neo-baroque villa ....
..... then turning left into the street Sugar, which is here not so important thoroughfare as in the eastern part of Orechovka.
Before we will get to the sculptor Bretislav Benda´s villa please notice the interesting functionalist villa 53/777 with a harp symbol.
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Bretislav Benda´s house
Cukrovarnicka 51, Stresovice 778
Bretislav Benda (1897 - 1983), one of the major sculptors of the 20th Czech century, lived and worked in the house. He was a pupil of Josef Vaclav Myslbek and Jan Stursa and a member of the Association of Fine Artists. Artistic expression Břetislava Bendy can be best to be describe by his own words: "I do not know motive rarer than the human body, and especially feminine." He modeled mainly bronze and marble statues of the female body.
Josef Svatopluk Machar´s house
Cukrovarnická 41, Střešovice 650
Josef Svatopluk Machar (1864 - 1942), who were living in this house since 1929, was a well-known poet, novelist, journalist and satirist
We are turning left to the street Pod Vyhlidkou, which we are walking through into Na Drackach street.
Along parallel streets - Stresovicka, Cukrovarnicka, Na Orechovce and Na Na Drackach construction of almost exclusively family houses took place in the 20th and 30th.
Villa with Vaclav Spala´s studio
Na Drackach 5, Stresovice 755
Painter, graphic artist and illustrator Vaclav Spala (1885-1946) ordered deseign of his Stresovice villa by his colleague from the Association of Fine Artists - architect Otakar Novotný.
Vaclav Spala was painter of deep folk inspiration, his art sprung from perfectly ingrained impulses folk environment and creation. His work was based on fauvism, and later was influenced by cubism, from which he diverged after 1923, when he began to paint particularly landscapes. This period of his work is known as the green period. The highlight of Spala´s nature painting is the blue period , when he used this color in many shades. Vaclav Spala´s House combined living and working function i.e. it contained five-members family apartment and a painting studio. After the death of Vaclav Spala wife Jane, daughter Eva, and sons George and John inherited a house.
Architect Otakar Novotny, who focused himself on Dutch type brick architecture of rough walling - that is, as we shall see, in Orechovka numerically very significant - Otakar Novotny designed this interesting house in 1931 - 1932.
Alfred Justitz´s Vila
Na Drackach 7, Stresovice 755
The neighboring villa for Alfred Justitz, also in the rough walling kind, but not with original windows, is the work of Frantisek Antonin Libra of 1931.
Alfred Justitz (1879 - 1934) was the representative of the founding generation of Czech modern painting, major graphic designer and illustrator. He was a member of the Association of Fine Artists "Manes" and exhibited with the group "Tvrdosijni"(Dogged). His poster creation can be found in many galleries. As a major kynolog he was an enthusiastic promoter of the boxers breed.
Elegant semidetached house No. 8,10 / 772,773 in purist style was designed by architect Antonin Mendl in 1934 .
Also larger villa built by architect Alois Mikuskovic No.12/774 in 1933 has a somewhat austere but elegant look.
The neighboring villa for Alfred Justitz, also in the rough walling kind, but not with original windows, is the work of Frantisek Antonin Libra of 1931.
Alfred Justitz (1879 - 1934) was the representative of the founding generation of Czech modern painting, major graphic designer and illustrator. He was a member of the Association of Fine Artists "Manes" and exhibited with the group "Tvrdosijni"(Dogged). His poster creation can be found in many galleries. As a major kynolog he was an enthusiastic promoter of the boxers breed.
Elegant semidetached house No. 8,10 / 772,773 in purist style was designed by architect Antonin Mendl in 1934 .
We are crossing V pruhledu (In Vista) boulevard, which are similar to green framework of Slunna (Sunny) Street on the east side of Orechovka and in follow-up part of Na Drackach street No. 25/847 we can see the house in which painter, printmaker, illustrator and writer Vaclav Fiala (1896-1980) lived and worked . This is a cube-shaped family house, with the superior staircase at the entrance on the north side, which is not very much structured by holes. The house was designed by architect Pavel Simonov in 1934.
From Na Drackach Street we are turning back to Stresovicka avenue.
Functionalist house No. 64/858 was designed by architect Karel Stráník in 1936 . It is a large building with functionalist southern street frontage. Part of the roof is bowed and has a stepped gable.
Architect Jan Gillar built in the same year the villa No. 56/854 with the covered entrance and unusual hipped roof.
Czech painter Miloslav Holy had an apartment and a studio in neighboring house No. 54/853.
We are turning back down through Zapadni Street to Lomena street. On the left corner with the Cukrovarnicka Street, which is already a wide boulevard on this place we can find:
Vincenc Benes´s House
Cukrovarnicka 24, Stresovice 492
Czech painter Vincent Benes (1883-1979) lived and worked in the house. Benes was a member of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Arts, Association of Fine Artists "Manes" and Association "Eight". First, his work has influenced by cubism and fauvism, in the next period he focused on realistic oil paintings influenced by neoclassicism. The house was built by architect Pavel Janak in the for Orechovka popular "Dutch style" with rough walling on the facade in 1923.
Further in Lomena street:
Semi-detached Villa of Emil Filla and Frantisek Krejci
Lomena 10,12, Stresovice 493,494
For the Cubist painter, graphic artist and sculptor Emil Filla and psychologist Franz Krejci was designed again by Pavel Janak in 1923 -1924 semi-detached villa in the same style as Vincent Benes´s villa.
Emil Filla (1882 - 1953) worked in a wide variety of professions - but he was primarily a painter and printmaker. However, he is also known as a sculptor, editor, theorist, diplomat, organizer and collector. He shaped the direction of Czech cultural events shortly before the 1st World War and especially during the inter-war period.
Frantisek Krejci (1858 - 1934) was a psychologist and one of the few Czech positivist philosophers. He is considered the founder of modern Czech psychology.
We are returning to Na Orechovce Street and turning right.
Kafka´s Villa
Na Orechovce 41, Stresovice 484
Villa of sculptor Bohumil Kafka (1878-1942) was also designed by architect Pavel Janak .
Kafka's works are jewel of Czech Art Nouveau - Symbolist sculpture. Kafka, familiar with Art Nouveau, accepted the suggestions of symbolism, naturalism and impressionism and created several works of art in which art style of 19th and 20 century meet in original way. Art historians, however, particularly highlight his sculptures with quite distinctive symbolist inspiration.
Among the important Kafka´s realizations we have to mention at least the largest equestrian statue in the world - Jan Zizka Memorial for the National Monument on Vitkov hill. Bohumil Kafka worked as a professor in School of Applied Arts in Prague and the Academy of Fine Arts. He was also a respected member of many international art societies. Together with his teacher Stanislav Sucharda Kafka worked on the Palacky Monument on the same square. Thus it was a mutual honor, if the villa for sculptor Bohumil Kafka was designed by architect Pavel Janak.
Kafka´s Marriage left no heirs. The artist´s widow bequeathed the villa to her carer, whose family has been owning it since 1965 to the present day ...
The villa belongs to a set Janákových buildings (villas of Vincent Benes, Emil Filla, Frantisek Krejci and Bohumil Kafka) which were implemented for the Building Co-operative of Artists and Writers in Orechovka in the years 1923-1924. The architect was inspired by the sober Dutch architecture of the rough walling of red bricks. Above the original entrance door we will see stone busts. On the right side there is a sculpture studio, which ceiling is used as a roof terrace.
Na Orechovce 35, Stresovice 487
The sculptor Otakar Spaniel have a beautiful art deco villa built by the architect Ladislav Machoň on the corner of the main square and Na Orechovce street.
Otakar Spaniel (1881 - 1955) was a famous sculptor, medalist and woodcarver. His work was based on Art Nouveau style. First frequent topic of his works were athletes in addition to traditional acts. Creation of world-class relief d ominates in his work. He dealt with the creation of medals, portraits, plaques and coins. The one crown coin from 1921 belongs among the most prized and beautiful world coins.
In the square we turn up Zapadni (West) Street and immediately adjacent villa is:
Jaroslav Vondrak´s own Villa
Zapadni 21, Stresovice 488
Builder and architect of the villa dating from 1923 - 1924 with the completion of the 1930 is Jaroslav Vondrák (1881-1937), who belongs to the generation of the famous Czech architects, born about 1880, together with Pavel Janak, Josef Gocar and Josef Chochol. Although Jaroslav Vondrak did not reach the fame of his more successful colleagues, he has in Czech architecture and urbanism his place. After all, it was just Jaroslav Vondrak and Jan Senkyr, who won the tender for the Orechovka (!), Although much more famous architects took part in tender at the time.
Therefore, quite logically and justly we find Vondrak´s own villa in the middle of the main square on its west side. The villa is designed as a solitaire in expressive modernism style. Entrance hall was then in 1930 completed with the roof in functionalist conception. Vondrak this way amplified expressionist tone of the entire villa with moments of surprise to observers.
We are walking on across the southern part of the square, where a monument to the fallen of Stresovice in the WWI was built in the park in 1928. It was designed by the sculptor Josef Frank under leadership of his teacher Professor Bohumil Kafka and architectural collaboration of Alois Dryak (design stand).
We are going up Vychodni (East) street and then turning right Spalova street along the park to the corner of Stresovicka Avenue and Na Hubalce street.
The Villa in Stresovicka Avenue No.15/566 was designed by architect Josef Kalous in 1926, with characteristic asymmetric peaks, typical for his style.
We are continuing down the Stresovicka Avenue to the corner with U Laboratore (At Laboratory) Street.
Hübschmann´s own Villa
U Laboratore 4, Stresovice 565
Builder and architect of the villa built in the years 1926 - 1927 was Bohumil Hübschmann. The house has been owned by members of Hübschmann´s family up to now.
Architect Bohumil Hübschmann based its work on the output of the Viennese architect Otto Wagner. Hübschmann performed successfully urban designs in Prague, the most outstanding is his Emauzy adaptation. "Wagnerian" approach to architecture can also be found in his own villa. House situated on visually exposed Stresovicka avenue corner has in addition to flat (in its neighborhood unprecedented) roof also sliding "English" window. The facades are austere, without any decoration, roof projected in bold ledges. A winter garden and a gazebo partially relieve hardness and inaccessibility of exterior. There was Hübschmann´s studio in the attic.
We are going down U Laboratore Street.
The former sugar industry research institute was built in art deco style style on corner with Cukrovarnicka street.
At the next junction we are turning to Na Orechovce Street
On the corner of the Pevnostní (Fortess) street Strength we will look at a villa No 1/581 of architect Jaroslav Fröhlich from 1927. The villa is leaning towards purism, in Kotera´s modernism style with brick patterns.
We turn to the Pod Hradbami (Unter Walls) Street.
Traub´s Villa
Pod Hradbami 17, Stresovice 658
In Prague, we do not find many buildings that were designed by foreign architects. One of the major structures of this type is also in Stresovice. Traub´s villa designed for the family tannery businessman of the same name is a major work of the German architect Bruno Paul from 1928 - 1929. Its refined architecture is from outside not functionalist or purist (according to architect Loos) , rather it can be considered very sophisticated manifestation of modern classicism. Three-storeyed building has a sandstone paneled front, experts will reveal the relationship between this villa and other work of Bruno Paul - scyscraper Kathrainer Hochhaus in Berlin in Potsdamerstrasse. In the streetwards direction the villa gives rather cold but dignified and representative impression. Yet, to the garden you wil find lower, considerably more friendly facade. Traub family did not enjoy the villa much, they had to leave it twice - before the war, and - this time for good - after February 1948 (Communists took power in Czechoslovakia). Vila was then used for various embassies. During a recent renovation, this villa was sensitively refurbished, including the interiors. Today the house serves as the Hungarian Embassy.
In the Pod Hradbami street we will see also the richly decorated Neo-Baroque villa No 15/659....
....and further constructivist family house No13/660 from the years 1927-1928, designed by Ladislav Machon.
Orechovka as a residential area is emphasized by the villa in Artillery Street No. 1/654, which is known as the residence of the former Czechoslovak and Czech president Vaclav Havel and his wife.
We are walking through the narrow connecting alley to Bustehradska street, where a series of interesting houses No 17-25/952-956 were built by the purist architects Miroslav Vanecka and Bohumil Svarc in the period 1926 - 1928. The houses have five semi-cylindrical projections with staircase on the north side, the rhythmic repetition of which seems very expressive.
We turn up Slunna (Sunny) street, which actually forms "circular boulevard" around Orechovka on the east side of Orechovka like similar boulevard V Pruhledu Street on the west side of Orechovka.
Architect Jaroslav Rössler´s own villa No. 18/552, with rough walling and terracotta colors was built at the same time (i.e. 1926 - 1927) as Bohumil Hübschmann´s own house, which we saw at the upper end of the street
From U Laboratore street we are going back through Na Orechovce street to the main square - to the central house where you can stay in one of the restaurants for lunch or dinner, or sit in the garden. Whether you choose any restaurant, it is definitely worth seeing a originally preserved hall of the restaurant, stylishly called "Na Orechovce" - in Orechovka.
Functionalist house No. 64/858 was designed by architect Karel Stráník in 1936 . It is a large building with functionalist southern street frontage. Part of the roof is bowed and has a stepped gable.
Functionalist house No. 44/746 was designed by architect Otakar Chodounsky in 1932.
Kafka's works are jewel of Czech Art Nouveau - Symbolist sculpture. Kafka, familiar with Art Nouveau, accepted the suggestions of symbolism, naturalism and impressionism and created several works of art in which art style of 19th and 20 century meet in original way. Art historians, however, particularly highlight his sculptures with quite distinctive symbolist inspiration.
The villa belongs to a set Janákových buildings (villas of Vincent Benes, Emil Filla, Frantisek Krejci and Bohumil Kafka) which were implemented for the Building Co-operative of Artists and Writers in Orechovka in the years 1923-1924. The architect was inspired by the sober Dutch architecture of the rough walling of red bricks. Above the original entrance door we will see stone busts. On the right side there is a sculpture studio, which ceiling is used as a roof terrace.
Spaniel´s Villa
The sculptor Otakar Spaniel have a beautiful art deco villa built by the architect Ladislav Machoň on the corner of the main square and Na Orechovce street.
Otakar Spaniel (1881 - 1955) was a famous sculptor, medalist and woodcarver. His work was based on Art Nouveau style. First frequent topic of his works were athletes in addition to traditional acts. Creation of world-class relief d ominates in his work. He dealt with the creation of medals, portraits, plaques and coins. The one crown coin from 1921 belongs among the most prized and beautiful world coins.
In the square we turn up Zapadni (West) Street and immediately adjacent villa is:
Jaroslav Vondrak´s own Villa
Zapadni 21, Stresovice 488
Builder and architect of the villa dating from 1923 - 1924 with the completion of the 1930 is Jaroslav Vondrák (1881-1937), who belongs to the generation of the famous Czech architects, born about 1880, together with Pavel Janak, Josef Gocar and Josef Chochol. Although Jaroslav Vondrak did not reach the fame of his more successful colleagues, he has in Czech architecture and urbanism his place. After all, it was just Jaroslav Vondrak and Jan Senkyr, who won the tender for the Orechovka (!), Although much more famous architects took part in tender at the time.
Therefore, quite logically and justly we find Vondrak´s own villa in the middle of the main square on its west side. The villa is designed as a solitaire in expressive modernism style. Entrance hall was then in 1930 completed with the roof in functionalist conception. Vondrak this way amplified expressionist tone of the entire villa with moments of surprise to observers.
We are walking on across the southern part of the square, where a monument to the fallen of Stresovice in the WWI was built in the park in 1928. It was designed by the sculptor Josef Frank under leadership of his teacher Professor Bohumil Kafka and architectural collaboration of Alois Dryak (design stand).
We are continuing down the Stresovicka Avenue to the corner with U Laboratore (At Laboratory) Street.
Architect Bohumil Hübschmann based its work on the output of the Viennese architect Otto Wagner. Hübschmann performed successfully urban designs in Prague, the most outstanding is his Emauzy adaptation. "Wagnerian" approach to architecture can also be found in his own villa. House situated on visually exposed Stresovicka avenue corner has in addition to flat (in its neighborhood unprecedented) roof also sliding "English" window. The facades are austere, without any decoration, roof projected in bold ledges. A winter garden and a gazebo partially relieve hardness and inaccessibility of exterior. There was Hübschmann´s studio in the attic.
We are going down U Laboratore Street.
The former sugar industry research institute was built in art deco style style on corner with Cukrovarnicka street.
We are turning right Cukrovarnicka Street into the wide Slunna boulevard downwards
At the next junction we are turning to Na Orechovce Street
On the corner of the Pevnostní (Fortess) street Strength we will look at a villa No 1/581 of architect Jaroslav Fröhlich from 1927. The villa is leaning towards purism, in Kotera´s modernism style with brick patterns.
We turn to the Pod Hradbami (Unter Walls) Street.
Traub´s Villa
Pod Hradbami 17, Stresovice 658
In Prague, we do not find many buildings that were designed by foreign architects. One of the major structures of this type is also in Stresovice. Traub´s villa designed for the family tannery businessman of the same name is a major work of the German architect Bruno Paul from 1928 - 1929. Its refined architecture is from outside not functionalist or purist (according to architect Loos) , rather it can be considered very sophisticated manifestation of modern classicism. Three-storeyed building has a sandstone paneled front, experts will reveal the relationship between this villa and other work of Bruno Paul - scyscraper Kathrainer Hochhaus in Berlin in Potsdamerstrasse. In the streetwards direction the villa gives rather cold but dignified and representative impression. Yet, to the garden you wil find lower, considerably more friendly facade. Traub family did not enjoy the villa much, they had to leave it twice - before the war, and - this time for good - after February 1948 (Communists took power in Czechoslovakia). Vila was then used for various embassies. During a recent renovation, this villa was sensitively refurbished, including the interiors. Today the house serves as the Hungarian Embassy.
....and further constructivist family house No13/660 from the years 1927-1928, designed by Ladislav Machon.
Orechovka as a residential area is emphasized by the villa in Artillery Street No. 1/654, which is known as the residence of the former Czechoslovak and Czech president Vaclav Havel and his wife.
We are walking through the narrow connecting alley to Bustehradska street, where a series of interesting houses No 17-25/952-956 were built by the purist architects Miroslav Vanecka and Bohumil Svarc in the period 1926 - 1928. The houses have five semi-cylindrical projections with staircase on the north side, the rhythmic repetition of which seems very expressive.
We turn up Slunna (Sunny) street, which actually forms "circular boulevard" around Orechovka on the east side of Orechovka like similar boulevard V Pruhledu Street on the west side of Orechovka.
Former „Klaus´s“ president Villa
Slunna 15, Stresovice 555
The villa belongs Army of the Czech Republic, and it is used for ceremonial purposes. Shortly after being elected president Vaclav Klaus and his wife moved to the villa . The Ministry of Defence had it reconstructed for the president as commander in chief of the armed forces for the price of 28 million crowns. In January 2004, it became apparent that the Army villa serving as president villa was not the right solution. The thing is that it formerly belonged to the family of well-known and wealthy Prague caterers Lippert, who was due to his German nationality deported to Germany on May 16, 1946. Sudeten Germans immediately declared that "the case of the presidential villa is just the tip of the iceberg". President and Army got into an awkward situation. Therefore, the presidential couple was looking for a new residence again. In summer 2005 the couple moved definitively to Empire villa in Lumbe garden on the outskirts of Prague Castle, which now serves also as the residence of the president of Zeman.
We are walking through Delostrelecka Street, where in 1927 architect Josef Kalous designed the villa No. 17/553 inclining to purism, with four elevated brick pylons on the terrace.
We can see for comparison a Neo-Baroque villa on the corner with U Laboratore Street:
E.E.Kisch´s house
U Laboratore 22, Stresovice 538
In this house was the last Prague stay of German writing journalist Egon Erwin Kisch (1885-1948). He settled her down after traveling the world, which started in 1925 with staying in the Soviet Union later visited Africa, USA, China, Australia .... , he wrote engaging stories from everywhere. He was known by the nickname "Furious reporter," because he wanted to see everything, to be at everything , everything to try. He for example, went to Mecca disguised as an Arab. In addition to the reports of roads as "Landing in Australia," "Tsars, pops and Bolsheviks," "American Paradise" and "Secret China" he wrote many books inspired by Prague, for example: "From the streets of Prague and nights", "Prague adventures", "Prague pitaval", "Marketplace of sensations". Although by the inner conviction communist, he always adhere to the principle of reporter objectivity.
We turn up the street U Laboratore
The villa belongs Army of the Czech Republic, and it is used for ceremonial purposes. Shortly after being elected president Vaclav Klaus and his wife moved to the villa . The Ministry of Defence had it reconstructed for the president as commander in chief of the armed forces for the price of 28 million crowns. In January 2004, it became apparent that the Army villa serving as president villa was not the right solution. The thing is that it formerly belonged to the family of well-known and wealthy Prague caterers Lippert, who was due to his German nationality deported to Germany on May 16, 1946. Sudeten Germans immediately declared that "the case of the presidential villa is just the tip of the iceberg". President and Army got into an awkward situation. Therefore, the presidential couple was looking for a new residence again. In summer 2005 the couple moved definitively to Empire villa in Lumbe garden on the outskirts of Prague Castle, which now serves also as the residence of the president of Zeman.
We are walking through Delostrelecka Street, where in 1927 architect Josef Kalous designed the villa No. 17/553 inclining to purism, with four elevated brick pylons on the terrace.
We can see for comparison a Neo-Baroque villa on the corner with U Laboratore Street:
E.E.Kisch´s house
U Laboratore 22, Stresovice 538
In this house was the last Prague stay of German writing journalist Egon Erwin Kisch (1885-1948). He settled her down after traveling the world, which started in 1925 with staying in the Soviet Union later visited Africa, USA, China, Australia .... , he wrote engaging stories from everywhere. He was known by the nickname "Furious reporter," because he wanted to see everything, to be at everything , everything to try. He for example, went to Mecca disguised as an Arab. In addition to the reports of roads as "Landing in Australia," "Tsars, pops and Bolsheviks," "American Paradise" and "Secret China" he wrote many books inspired by Prague, for example: "From the streets of Prague and nights", "Prague adventures", "Prague pitaval", "Marketplace of sensations". Although by the inner conviction communist, he always adhere to the principle of reporter objectivity.
We turn up the street U Laboratore
Architect Jaroslav Rössler´s own villa No. 18/552, with rough walling and terracotta colors was built at the same time (i.e. 1926 - 1927) as Bohumil Hübschmann´s own house, which we saw at the upper end of the street
From U Laboratore street we are going back through Na Orechovce street to the main square - to the central house where you can stay in one of the restaurants for lunch or dinner, or sit in the garden. Whether you choose any restaurant, it is definitely worth seeing a originally preserved hall of the restaurant, stylishly called "Na Orechovce" - in Orechovka.
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