Basic information
The villa, built in 1925, is closely connected with the local Fine Arts scene, as it was commissioned from the talented architect Josef Štepánek and the famous Bohuslav Fuchs by Julius Pelikán, a prominent Olomouc sculptor.
The courage of the investor and the architects was provocative for the then conservative Olomouc citizens who called the constructivist building a “case of forbidding malevolence”. Here, the local architectural community was confronted with modern construction which started to move from national styles and purism towards Constructivism.
The rational concept of the building without redundant luxury and decoration was based on practicality. The client’s occupation led to incorporation of two studios which cannot be overlooked even from the outside. Unusually large windows allow plenty of sunlight in, something an artist needs for his work.
The Pelikán family suffered many hardships in the following years. His Jewish wife, Božena, died in a concentration camp and his sons were imprisoned as resistance fighters. After February 1948, the villa was under constant surveillance by the Secret Police. As if unwelcome interest had accompanied the building since its very birth.