{"id":17438,"date":"2016-11-03T13:29:10","date_gmt":"2016-11-03T12:29:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/meonline.hu\/?p=17438"},"modified":"2016-11-03T13:29:10","modified_gmt":"2016-11-03T12:29:10","slug":"var-rekonstrukcio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/meonline.hu\/en\/magyar-epitomuveszet-hirek\/var-rekonstrukcio\/","title":{"rendered":"Prague Castle & Ple\u010dnik"},"content":{"rendered":"

Architektur im Ringturm, Vienna, 27. 06. – 23. 09. 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Prager<\/p>\n

Prague Castle is one of the world\u2019s largest preserved castle complexes, and is a symbol of the Czech Republic\u2019s sense of national pride. To accompany this year\u2019s artistic covering of the Ringturm designed by Czech artist Ivan Exner, the Architektur im Ringturm series will focus on the unique architectural features of Prague Castle. The exhibition concentrates on the work of Slovenian architect Josef Ple\u010dnik.<\/p>\n

After the Czech Republic gained independence in 1918, a seat of office was required for the country\u2019s first president, Tom\u00e1\u0161 Garrigue Masaryk. Initially, Prague Castle was ruled out \u2013 it had been the Habsburgs\u2019 administrative seat for centuries and was considered unsuitable. However, President Masaryk chose the site as the location for his office, and also proposed making the entire complex accessible to the general public by means of targeted construction measures. To avoid sparking controversy among the country\u2019s architects, Masaryk commissioned Josef Ple\u010dnik, previously a student of Otto Wagner, to carry out the work.<\/p>\n

President Masaryk, a former university professor, member of the imperial parliament in Vienna and a leading intellectual in his home country, was convinced that art had a decisive part to play in establishing a democratic state. In Ple\u010dnik he had found someone with the wherewithal to provide architectural designs worthy of his political ideas \u2013 a view he shared with his daughter Alice Masaryk.<\/p>\n

The president was especially taken by Ple\u010dnik\u2019s proposal to construct an obelisk with an eternal flame in the Paradise Garden, in memory of Czechoslovakia\u2019s fallen legionnaires. Ple\u010dnik was added to the list of non-Czech artists \u2013 starting with Matthias of Arras, Peter Parler and Nicolaus Pacassi \u2013 who played a decisive part in shaping Prague Castle\u2019s modern-day appearance. Completed between 1920 and 1934, Ple\u010dnik\u2019s designs at the castle are considered a unique achievement in international architectural history, distinguished by a specific and authentic architectural language.<\/p>\n

Courtyards, gardens and interiors
\nAs the master of works, Ple\u010dnik had to treat the existing building stock with the utmost care. He designed courtyards with fountains and monuments, gardens with viewing pavilions and aviaries, as well as numerous high-quality interior pieces such as stand-alone furnishings, chairs, decorative items and everyday objects for Masaryk, some of which are still in use today. <\/p>\n

It is worth emphasising the sense of responsibility that permeated the work. As part of the transition to a democratic state, the aim was to return Prague Castle to its original form, a form that had its roots in the pre-Habsburg era. The following anecdote illustrates the point: Ple\u010dnik was paid a reasonable sum for his design for the library, but returned the money, keeping only a small portion for travel expenses. His reasoning was that his creations represented architecture that would stand the test of time, and was more than simply paid work. <\/p>\n

Ple\u010dnik quickly developed an intimate affection for the President\u2019s daughter, Alice Masaryk. However, in view of the commission and its significance for the country\u2019s future, the couple curbed their feelings for one another, so that emotions would not interfere with Ple\u010dnik\u2019s work. <\/p>\n

Use of locally sourced materials and traditional techniques in the designs was very important to Ple\u010dnik. He decided not to add any entirely new components, working instead only with available construction elements, which he began to enhance, giving them a monumental appearance, as well as using them in completely new contexts. After the medieval passageways \u2013 which had disappeared in the course of Pacassi\u2019s baroque-era renovations \u2013 had been reopened, the adjoining royal gardens, cathedral and courtyards provided ample inspiration. National iconography, which the deeply religious Ple\u010dnik augmented with Christian imagery, also played a part in the artist\u2019s thinking. Examples include the stars on the statue of John of Nepomuk, the patron saint of the Czech Republic, and the stylised representation of the waves on the Vltava river, found in the alcove on the Bull Staircase. <\/p>\n

Ple\u010dnik created a new pedestal as well as an enclosure in the form of a \u201cfloating halo\u201d for the fountain of St George, which dates back to the Middle Ages. The architect\u2019s work also commemorates the prophetess Libu\u0161e and other Czech legends \u2013 the female head with an aureole of stars symbolises Libu\u0161e\u2019s prophecy of the foundation of the city of Prague. Taking his cue from ancient art, Ple\u010dnik often blended national symbols with examples of Greek art, as seen in the canopy on the Bull Staircase, and the fact that the antique bulls could easily be mistaken for the oxen of the first P\u0159emyslid ruler was of no importance to him \u2013 the architect may even have flirted with the idea of such a mix-up. This syncretism was modelled on the sculpture of a bull that adorns a gravestone in Kerameikos, a suburb of Athens, and supposedly also on a portal at a farm near Zvolen, which Ple\u010dnik had seen on a school trip to Slovakia. Stylised lime tree leaves were also deeply symbolic for Ple\u010dnik and can be seen all around the castle complex. Alice Masaryk believed that they reflect a sense of belonging to the Slavic peoples.<\/p>\n

Symbolism is a major aspect of Ple\u010dnik\u2019s renovation of the castle. However, he never lost sight of his training with Otto Wagner, with its strong emphasis on the proper processing of materials as a means of bringing out the properties of stone, wood and other building materials to the greatest possible effect. Spurning modern functional forms, Ple\u010dnik proved adroit at implementing Semper\u2019s metamorphosis of the formal repertoire of ancient art. In effect, his work centred on perennial issues in architecture, which he brought up to date using an \u201cantiquated\u201d approach, unlike his contemporaries. This is the essence of his designs, and also the reason why Ple\u010dnik cannot be classified as a functionalist and even less so as an eclectic artist. He wanted to create art that transcended time and would never lose its aesthetic appeal.
\nInitially, Jan Kot\u011bra was commissioned to build the presidential apartment on the second floor, but Alice Masaryk was unhappy with his modish design. So Ple\u010dnik, a friend of Kot\u011bra, assumed responsibility for the work. Although the original plans were at an advanced stage, this did not result in a rift between the two architects. The existing layout seemed problematic, as the long suite of rooms did not have a focal point, or a proper point of access. But Ple\u010dnik solved this problem with the impluvium and the granite basin at its centre. The architect even told of crawling around the basin with Masaryk, both on their hands and knees, so that he could draw the president\u2019s attention to the perfect stonemasonry from a different perspective. Luckily, there was no one else around to see them. <\/p>\n

Ple\u010dnik built the apartments to the east of the impluvium, mainly using the existing furnishings, with the exception of the library and the president\u2019s study. The latter was sparsely furnished, with a desk, a lectern and a wall fountain in veined green Silesian marble. The room featured book shelves on all sides, and in the view of the president\u2019s daughter it would serve as the intellectual heart of the castle, so that the story of the finest hour in Czechoslovakian democracy could be passed on to future generations. <\/p>\n

The design of the Ladies\u2019 Salon was far more ornamental, featuring Moravian and Slovakian embroidery and rustic pottery. In spite of the extensive use of folk art, the overall impression was extremely lavish, and on a par with what might be termed high art. The design was enthusiastically received by Alice Masaryk, who is said to have called it \u201cpastoral without the pastorality\u201d. In addition to the couch, the room also included a recliner that reflected Ple\u010dnik\u2019s vision of the appearance of antique metal armchairs mentioned by Semper. Ple\u010dnik transformed the neighbouring room into a lounge and music room. To provide the requisite access to the private quarters and lounges, Ple\u010dnik built a round staircase with a lift. The unplastered brick interior walls with their prominent pointing also reflect the medieval construction methods previously found at the site.<\/p>\n

By removing parts of the castle fortifications originating from the 19th century, Ple\u010dnik opened up eye-catching views of the city. The middle bastion was converted into a viewing terrace and the paving adorned with mosaics. With its Mediterranean-style pergola, obelisk and granite table, the Moravian Bastion at the end of the Rampart Garden was intended as a place of peace and tranquillity for the president. The profile of the table top gives the impression of an imaginary tablecloth, while the brick and stone paving is reminiscent of a woven carpet. In an audacious move, Ple\u010dnik pushed the properties of granite to the limit with his slim, ten-metre-high obelisk. With its Doric capital, the monolith is a mix of classical obelisk and Doric column. The pavilions and belvederes are another essential element of the gardens \u2013 they serve as a frame for various panoramic vistas of the Czech capital, and offer attractive new perspectives on the city.
\nPle\u010dnik\u2019s strategy for the renovation involved drawing attention to of the existing architecture, as well as creating a pathway through the gardens that opens up fascinating views of the castle from various angles. To this end he used load-bearing arcades to extend the Rampart Garden, connecting it with the Powder Bridge and Royal Garden via a connecting bridge. Unfortunately this idea was never implemented \u2013 following Ple\u010dnik\u2019s departure, the plan to join the castle and Queen Anna\u2019s summer residence was shelved. <\/p>\n

Almost a century later, with functionalism having given way to other styles, we live in age of artistic pluralism that is difficult to pin down. Against this backdrop, Ple\u010dnik\u2019s work at Prague Castle takes on a whole new dimension. Nobody takes exception to the columns he designed \u2013 on the contrary, they illustrate how much vitality such elements and ancient art as a whole still exude. Ple\u010dnik brings home the idea that proportion, rhythm and context have been the most important components of architecture throughout the ages. He also provides a lesson in how to make use of classical materials. Although modern-day methods are different, Ple\u010dnik\u2019s architecture comprises countless interesting facets that remain contemporary to this day.<\/p>\n

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