Antonín Viktor Barvitius: modern architect in years of historism
The exhibition in the Small Gallery of the Architecture, Building and Design exhibition was created on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the architect's birth and will provide an overview of his work as a whole. It is the first exhibition dedicated to Antonín Barvitio in more than a hundred years.
Antonín Viktor Barvitius was born on July 14, 1823 in Prague. His buildings fundamentally influenced the shape of Prague. In addition, he intervened in the field of design when, from 1875, he designed typical liturgical vessels and utensils for the Christian Academy, of which he was a founding member.
The National Technical Museum has an extensive collection of Barviti's plans, which survived the fatal flood in 2002 and underwent a demanding restoration. The core of the exhibition therefore consists of drawings from the NTM Archive of Architecture and Construction, supplemented by photographs showing the current state of Barviti's buildings, a model of Lippmann's villa in Bubenč, and loans of artefacts made according to Barviti's designs.
"The exhibition shows Barvitio as an architect whose work goes beyond the box of historicism, not only by using modern materials such as concrete and structural iron or steel, but also as an architect who emphasized elementary geometry and at the same time the holistic nature of projects. The German-speaking Barvitius felt Czech as a resident of the Bohemian Kingdom and worked to execute patriotic orders. His huge library, preserved to this day, is at the same time a testament to the intellectual rigor and immense honesty of his work," says the author of the exhibition, Prof. Pavel Kalina.
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