Libušina 49/3: Kovařovic Villa

The fragmented geometry of Cubism had a major impact on Bohemian artistic style in the years leading up to the First World War, and it was in Prague above all that Cubist design reached its most complete form. In the district below the ancient stronghold of Vyšehrad stand six houses by Josef Chochol, all exhibiting the multi-faceted ‘crystalline’ facades characteristic of this short-lived architectural style.

The most famous of Chochol’s houses is the villa constructed for the builder Bedřich Kovařovic, close to the embankment. In an attempt to break away from the rectilinear conventions of conventional building, every aspect has been meticulously planned to reflect the diagonal lines favoured by the Cubists, from the chimneys and gables to the window panes and railings.