Czech It Out: A Stylish Soirée of Exhibition and Film

Scouting Adventure in Prague, Pilsen, and the Hidden Gems In Between

Icons of Czech Avantgarde: Authenticity & Style Diversity
🕐 Open daily (except Mondays), 10–18h till 26 October, 2025
📍Semler Residence, 2nd floor,Klatovská tř. 110, Pilsen, Czech Republic.

Earlier this month, Iconic Houses visited Pilsen and Prague for the festive opening of the exhibitionthe Icons of Czech Avantgarde at the wonderful Semler Residence in Pilsen and screenings of our film Pioneers of the Dutch Modern House at the Semler Residence and Laichter House in Prague.

At the exhibition's opening, we connected with key people who guided us to a few modern house museums that could soon join our network. Some are striking examples of Czech Cubism, others are still being restored but aim to open as house museums in due time. Below, we introduce a selection of the homes we visited. Follow THIS LINK for a photo report of the opening at the Semler Residence.

Laichter House
Architect: Jan Kotěra
Year of completion: 1910
View on our map

Tucked away in Prague’s Vinohrady district, the Laichter House is a quiet gem with a literary soul. Once home to the influential publishing house Jan Laichter, its former editorial offices now serve as co-working spaces — a thoughtful nod to its intellectual past. The building also regularly hosts book launches, keeping its original spirit alive. The young and passionate owner, Lars Laichter who welcomed us, is lovingly restoring the house, piece by piece, even tracking down original furniture. His goal? To turn the Laichter family’s former apartment into a small museum that captures the essence of early 20th-century Czech cultural life.
I had a great night’s sleep in the apartment at the Laichter House that can be rented for overnight stays— it even has a sauna, though unfortunately, I didn’t have time to use it. Just around the corner, Enoteca is a lovely spot if you enjoy good wine and small bites. And it’s even more enjoyable — and useful — when you share it with colleagues from Villa Winternitz, Villa Volman, and the Laichter House!

The Diamond House
Architect: Emil Králíček
Year of completion: 1913
Website

The Diamant House in the heart of Prague was originally designed by architect Ohmann as a neoclassical Art Nouveau building. But during construction, Emil Králíček stepped in and took things in a completely different direction. Inspired by the new Cubist movement, he introduced sharp, prism-like shapes that are now everywhere in the building — from the facade to the details inside, like the lamps, railings, doors, chandeliers, and even the etched glass.

Today, the Cubist Diamant House is home to the BOMMA Atelier — a creative space where designers and design lovers come together. It’s a showroom for all BOMMA’s lighting collections, but also more than that. The space feels like a stylish urban apartment, mixing original custom-made functionalist furniture with pieces from top international interior brands. It’s a place that really sparks conversation about what interior design can be.
An appointment can be booked with Atelier Manager Zuzana Kozlová (+420 775 964 611 / z.kozlova@bomma.cz).

Budilova Villa
Architect: Jaroslav Fragner
Year of completion: 1932
Website

In the quiet town of Kostelec nad Černými lesy, a bold restoration is underway. Local enthusiast Jan Novák has taken on the challenge of reviving the Budilova House — a striking modernist villa designed by architect Jaroslav Fragner, complete with a viewing platform reminiscent of Taliesin. Since purchasing the house in 2020, Novák has been carefully restoring its original features, many of which remain miraculously intact thanks to respectful previous owners. His goal is to transform the villa into a small museum dedicated to its history and Fragner’s overlooked legacy. With support from grants — including over two million crowns from MAS Podlipansko — he’s now preparing major work, starting with the upper-floor windows. Novák’s vision is clear: to return the villa to its former glory, furnish it with period pieces, and one day open its doors to the public as a space to truly experience Czech functionalist architecture.

Bauerova Villa
Architect: Joseph Gočár
Year of completion: 1914
Website

We made a stop in the village of Libodřice to visit Bauer’s Villa — a surprisingly sharp-edged cubist gem tucked into the Central Bohemian countryside. Built between 1912 and 1914 by Josef Gočár for estate owner Adolf Bauer, the house feels like a modernist experiment dropped into a rural setting. You can spot the cubist details in the dramatic star-shaped window and door frames, and in the bold, angular cornice. Inside, the collection is a real highlight: original cubist furniture by Pavel Janák and even Gočár’s iconic chandelier. It’s a strange and wonderful contrast — avant-garde design surrounded by fields. Just an hour’s drive from Prague’s House of the Black Madonna, and worth it. Not to forget — it's also a great idea to stop for lunch at the Dvůr Libodřice café/restaurant that also sells local products, before heading back to Prague.

Icons of Czech Avantgarde: Authenticity & Style Diversity
Those who are not able to visit the Semler Residence, can visit the exhibition in this link (with English and Czech texts).
Exhibition Curator: Maria Szadkowska
Graphic Design: Markéta Othová
Organized by: The Prague City Museum and Gallery of West Bohemia
Coordination at Semler Residence: Gabriela Darebná
Project Partner: Iconic Houses/Natascha Drabbe
Support: Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Prague

Posted July 24, 2025