Burian House

During the 1920s, the The New Town (Nové město) suburb began to rapidly develop. More interesting than some of apartment buildings designed by Čeněk Musil for the area, are two adjacent buildings with sandstone socles and oriel windows projecting on the left of the façades. The design for the smaller building was commissioned from Musil by the bag-maker Jan Burian and his wife. The result was a two-storey cellared house with a single flat on each floor. Two rooms, a kitchen, hallway and WC/bathroom were complemented on the first floor by an additional small room. Light enters the staircase part of the building, accentuated on the frontage by the distinct oriel window, through two circular windows. Along with the flagpole, which is drawn in the plans but no longer survives, these can be regarded as nautical elements, reflecting the Purists’ affinity for the design aspects of sea-going vessels and steamboats. Musil employed nautical details on several occasions, although his design for the Hušek Hotel (VP504) documents his greatest enthusiasm for the symbolism.

Musil’s architectural skills were sought out once again by Mr and Mrs Burian in 1939. They were granted a building permit to extend their home. The former attic was replaced with another floor (a one-room flat plus kitchen), which is only visible, however, from the rear. By preserving the old gable wall, chimneys and parts of the roof, the rebuild is not obvious from the street, thanks to which the original character of the design has been preserved.

(GA)