Josef Gočár

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Saint Wenceslas church, Vršovice, Prague, 1929-1930

Josef Gočár (March 13, 1880, Semín near Přelouč - September 10, 1945, Jičín), was a Czech architect, one of the founders of modern architecture in Czechoslovakia.

Josef Gočár received his early instruction at the State Technical School in Prague. At the age of 23 he went to study under Jan Kotěra at the Prague School of Applied Arts. For two years afterward, 1906-1908, Gočár was employed by Kotěra’s studio. At that time he decided to join the Mánes Union of Fine Arts, but left it in 1911 to join the Cubist Group of Visual Artists. Gočár joined Pavel Janák, Josef Chochol and Odoln Grege in founding the Prague Art Workshops in 1912. In 1924, following the death of Kotěra, Gočár became a professor at the Prague Academy of Fine Arts.

After his involvement in cubism, Gočár turned to “national” Czech Rondocubism style in the early 20s. Later on he adopted the Functionalist approach to architecture. Among his greatest accomplishments is the Czechoslovak Pavilion for the Exposition internatale des art decoratifs et industriels modernes in Paris of 1925; he was awarded the Grand Prize for that design. In 1926 Gočár was awarded the Ordre de la Légion d'honneur.

Building of Legiobanka in Prague, with architectural sculpture by Otto Gutfreund and Jan Štursa

[edit] Works

Wenke Department Store, Jaroměř, (1909-1911)
House of the Black Madonna, Prague's Old Town (1911-1912)
Bauer villa, Libodřice near Kolín, (1912-1913)
Saint Wenceslas church, Vršovice, Prague, 1929-1930
A 10 year period of town planning and building design for Hradec Králové where a large street still bears his name today.