The only house by a foreign architect, the Dutch avant-gardist Mart Stam, commissioned by the building engineer Jiří Palička and his wife Emílie, a textile artist and lace maker, is different from the others at first sight because of its longitudinal spatial concept. The house is situated on a steep slope and, together with the delicate reinforced concrete construction with columns in the south façade, this provides the house with airiness; this is further amplified by the semi-open terrace space, which is not on the roof but on the ground floor. It is covered by a sort of “awning” created by the continuation of the bedroom floor. On the other hand, Stam’s airiness and lightness were not in keeping with the conditions of the Prague climate. The minimalist interiors were designed by Ladislav Žák. The current owner carried out the reconstruction of the house, including the pavement and fencing, with great sensitivity on the basis of a design by the architect Ladislav Lábus. The Palička House is an excellent example of how to restore Baba to its original unique character.
Jiří Palička a Emílie Paličková
Emilíe Paličková won the Grand Prix at the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris in 1925 as part of the presentation of the Czechoslovak Werkbund. The builder Jiří Palička had a study in the house, where he helped to create the design of the legendary villa of the actress Lída Baarová and her family in nearby Hanspaulka. The architect Ladislav Žák designed it in the spirit of an ocean liner and its original charm was restored again by the architectural studio of Ladislav Lábus.
iconic perspective of the house by Mart Stam published in the Dutch Magazine Opbouw
current interior, entrance hall
current interior, first floor
current interior, kitchen
current interior, staircase
plans of the villa from construction documentation, 1971
Mart Stam
title page of the construction permit
original documentation and plans from the exhibition catalogue