Apartment buildings

In 1937 a complex of seven buildings designed by the Kuba brothers grew on the corner of Štefánikova and Dřevařská streets. Their facades with bare brick cladding indicates a departure from the white aesthetics of functionalism that is typical in the architectural trends of the late 1930s. Besides the easy maintenance of the facade, the architects achieved an expressive effect created by the contrast of the red surfaces and the white facing of the entrances, balconies and window sills. The bevelled corner on the ground floor and the setting of the first floor on a corner column is an intriguing feature repeated in works by the Kuba brothers. In the late 1930s a number of architects and theoreticians called for a return to natural materials, the limitation of white areas and a greater emphasis on the emotional side of architecture. Unfortunately, World War II interrupted this interesting development towards a sophisticated psychological impact and a new architectural expression. PH