House of Karel Tomášek
1931–1933

Due to the formation of Greater Pilsen (1924), when the municipalities of Doubravka, Lobzy, Doudlevce and Skvrňany were joined to the city, the area around today's Masarykova Street experienced a significant construction boom. In the early 1930s, two Modernist buildings were constructed in the area with a pure geometric concept that aspired to the highest developments in architecture at the time. In addition to the building of Luděk Pik’s Civil Schools (C14–823) designed by famous Pilsner architect Hanuš Zápal in 1930, the second project was the house of local builder Karel Tomášek. Tomášek approached an author from Brno in 1931 – the Functionalist Jan Víšek – with whom he had collaborated on the construction of the nearby Legionnaire House in 1921-1922 (C14–448).

Jan Víšek had gained the reputation of a top Functionalist architect not only thanks to his international contacts with key figures of contemporary architecture Le Corbusier, Auguste Perret, or Adolf Loos, but also due to his implementation of an exemplary and modern semi-detached house in the “Nový dům” Brno estate (1927-1928). To some extent, Víšek applied architectural design principles that stemmed from Le Corbusier's five points of modern architecture to Tomášek’s villa in Pilsen as well.

The generous two-storey building with a partially covered rooftop terrace with a small pool was supposed to serve not only for living and representation, but also as the seat of Tomášek’s building company, which realised the project between 1931 and 1933. Thanks to Víšek’s architecturally expressive concept (at least by local standards), the Purist-Functionalist building could also serve as a certain advertisement for Tomášek’s construction services. Víšek intensified the fragility of the consistently geometrically designed facade with coloured plaster and artificial stone by segmenting the corner at Masarykova and Moravská Streets, where he situated a vaulted entrance space on the ground floor, accessible by a wide staircase and a large loggia lined with subtle steel railing upstairs.

The entrance space led into a lobby that was generously furnished with segmented windows and included a small fountain and single-flight staircase. The company's offices were located on the ground floor; the first floor was reserved for living rooms fitted with luxurious built-in furniture and other equipment (e.g. the bathroom was cladded with green opaxit, the dining room and the living room were separated by a sliding door). While the double windows of these rooms were oriented toward the southeast, the technical facilities and staircase for the staff were situated in the perpendicular wing of the house facing north. The basement included further service areas. Only the laundry was placed in the roof mass continuing on from the terrace roofing.

After 1948, the house was used as a children’s home. After November 1989, the property began to fall into disrepair, and the original large garden with small outdoor swimming pool was divided and part of it built up by a new house. The new owner later converted the house into an office building; however, the exterior appearance and the most important interiors have been preserved. Due to its high architecture value, the building was listed as heritage in 1994.
 

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