Josef Fanta

Josef Fanta (7 December 1856 – 20 June 1954) was a Czech architect and designer. He was a versatile artist with a wide range of interests. He is one of the most prominent representatives of Czech Art Nouveau architecture. In addition to his architectural and artistic activities, he was a university teacher from 1909 to 1922.

Life

Josef Fanta was born on 7 December 1856 in Sudoměřice u Tábora. He came from a deeply religious family, which was later reflected in his work. In 1873–1877, he studied civil engineering at the Czech Technical University in Prague (ČVUT). He then worked for Josef Zítek on the interiors of the National Theatre. From 1880, he was an assistant of Josef Schulz. In 1889–1890, he went on a study trip to Italy.

From 1909 to 1922, Fanta was a professor of medieval architecture at ČVUT. He educated many notable Czech architects. He was an honorary doctor of technical sciences and a member of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences. He was friends with the writers Julius Zeyer and Jakub Arbes and the painter Zdenka Braunerová. He died on 20 June 1954 in Prague, at the age of 97. He is buried at the Olšany Cemetery, in the family tomb that he himself designed. His first major architectural achievement was a gold medal for the interiors of the pavilion of the Czech Chamber of Commerce and Trades at the 1900 Paris Exposition. the Ondřejov Observatory, and the Cairn of Peace Memorial in Prace, which commemorates the Battle of Austerlitz. He was known for designing family homes and villas, each of which was unique. His last big work was the Ministry of Trade building in Prague (1925–1932).

Selected works

Obereigner Villa, Poděbrady (1897) Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, Klatovy (1898–1908) – reconstruction Praha hlavní nádraží railway station, Prague (1901–1909) Hlahol House, Prague (1903–1905) Cemetery with the cemetery chapel, Poděbrady (1903–1907) Church of Saint Wenceslaus at Zderaz, Prague (1904) – reconstruction Hlávka's College, Prague (1904–1905) Church of Saint John of Nepomuk, Rožmitál pod Třemšínem (1904–1905) – reconstruction Ondřejov Observatory, Ondřejov (1905) Bohumil Hobzek Villa, Hradec Králové (1909–1910) Kouřimka Villa, Poděbrady (1910) Cairn of Peace Memorial, Prace (1910–1912) Town hall, Klatovy Ministry of Industry and Trade, Prague (1925–1932)