About the site
Among the apartment houses on Zacpalova Street, close to náměstí Republiky (Republic Square), stand several examples of Neue Sachlichkeit (New Objectivity) architecture from the early 1930s. Among them is the apartment building of veterinarian Alois Trabitsch. Situated directly opposite the point where U Synagogy Street opens into Zacpalova Street, its cylindrical stair-tower bay serves as a distinct point de vue along the sightline.
Trabitsch purchased the plot in 1926, but construction did not begin until the plans had been reworked into Otto Reichner’s final design, which introduced the distinctive cylindrical stairwell projection. The square-plan building follows a symmetrical scheme, both in its internal arrangement and in the composition of its façades. At the centre of the street elevation stands the main entrance, surmounted by the stairwell bay, which projects boldly forward of the building line. This unusual feature lends dynamism to an otherwise rather schematic façade. The bay divides the elevation into two symmetrical parts, each floor displaying the same pattern of four narrow windows set on continuous sill bands. The interplay of dynamism and symmetry continues on the courtyard side, where a conservatory forms a horizontal glazed volume at first-floor level. This space, part of the owner’s apartment, links the interior with the planted courtyard. Above it, on the second floor, a broad enclosed balcony performs a similar function. The basement accommodates service rooms and a garage, while the ground floor contains two symmetrically planned one-bedroom flats. Service rooms, lit by small rectangular windows facing the street, occupy the front of the plan, while the main living rooms open towards the courtyard – an arrangement that ensured tranquillity despite the relatively busy city-centre location.
MSt
