The villa of Martin Frič

The most popular Czech film director of the interwar period – Martin Frič – had this house designed in 1935 by Ladislav Žák, the leading architect of the functionalist movement. With its stunning, ship-like structure, the house occupies a place of honour in the history of Czech modernist architecture. Until its recent sale and subsequent refurbishment , it was occupied by Frič’s elderly daughter who managed to preserve all the original furniture and lighting designed by Josef Hesoun – another top architect of the 1930s. It was Modernista’s restorers’ task to give the much-used 70 year old furniture and lighting fixtures the look they had when they were new. The pictures show the house with the restored original furniture and lighting only, before the new occupiers added their own furnishings and art.