Apartment buildings on Mánesova

In addition to socialist realism style buildings and the first, hitherto unique, prefabricated panel buildings, projects of a new architectural expression were also being built using traditional brick technology, in this case brick blocks. The apartment buildings on the streets Mánesova and Bulharská in Králové Pole were built to a design by František Zounek, who would become a key figure in Brno architecture in the decades that followed. The four-storey T16 buildings with ninety-six residential units were situated on gently sloping terrain, which the architect ingeniously addressed by means of a pattern of sloping facades of the adjoining blocks, which were accentuated by balconies on the sunny side of each apartment and which were complemented by flat roofs. While adhering to standard types in the layouts of the flats, he managed to create individually conceived architecture that was of a much higher standard than the average for that time. A short review by Jiří Hrůza, which was published in the journal Architektura ČSR in 1960, highlights not only the architect’s contribution, the good economic outcomes of the construction and the speed and quality of the construction work, but also the preservation of the mature trees in the yard. The Mánesova and Bulharská apartment buildings were presented as an example of quality housing based on current trends at the ‘Apartments for Brno’ exhibition in 1960, which was held in House of the Lords of Kunštát. 

 

MŽ