Vladimir Milunić (3 March 1941 – 17 September 2022) was a Czech architect. He was noted for designing the "
Dancing House" in Prague with
Frank Gehry. He also taught at the
Czech Technical University in Prague.
Early life
Milunić was born in
Zagreb
Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital and largest city of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb stands near the international border between Croatia and Slov ...
,
Republic of Yugoslavia (now
Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
), on 3 March 1941, to a family of Croatian descent.
His family moved to the
Czechoslovak Socialist Republic
The Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, ČSSR, formerly known from 1948 to 1960 as the Czechoslovak Republic or Fourth Czechoslovak Republic, was the official name of Czechoslovakia from 1960 to 29 March 1990, when it was renamed the Czechoslovak ...
when he was 15 or 16. Regarding his nationality, he later stated that he was Czechoslovak and felt Yugoslavian, "as a protest against primitive nationalism".
[ Milunić studied architecture at the Czech Technical University in Prague (CTU), graduating in 1966. He subsequently resided in Paris for three years until 1969 while doing ]internship
An internship is a period of work experience offered by an organization for a limited period of time. Once confined to medical graduates, internship is used practice for a wide range of placements in businesses, non-profit organizations and gover ...
s.
Career
After returning from Paris, Milunić worked at Gama and Delta – two Prague-based architecture studios – for over two decades. He designed homes for seniors around the city, as well as housing for nurses, during the 1970s and 1980s. Milunić was also a lecturer at CTU (his alma mater).[ He eventually established his own studio, Studio VM, in 1990.]
Milunić first met Václav Havel
Václav Havel (; 5 October 193618 December 2011) was a Czech statesman, author, poet, playwright, and former dissident. Havel served as the last president of Czechoslovakia from 1989 until the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1992 and then ...
during the 1980s, when the former's family of six was unable to find sizeable lodgings at a Prague housing estate. The government ultimately assigned the Milunić family a room inside a Secessionist
Secession is the withdrawal of a group from a larger entity, especially a political entity, but also from any organization, union or military alliance. Some of the most famous and significant secessions have been: the former Soviet republics l ...
house, which was built by Havel's grandfather at the start of the 20th century and that had been owned by the Havels until its confiscation by the Communist authorities in 1948. The Havels nonetheless continued to reside there, and the two families became neighbours. After Havel's parents died, Milunić was tasked with dividing their apartment between Havel and his brother Ivan
Ivan () is a Slavic male given name, connected with the variant of the Greek name (English: John) from Hebrew meaning 'God is gracious'. It is associated worldwide with Slavic countries. The earliest person known to bear the name was Bulgari ...
in 1986.[
Around the time of the ]Velvet Revolution
The Velvet Revolution ( cs, Sametová revoluce) or Gentle Revolution ( sk, Nežná revolúcia) was a non-violent transition of power in what was then Czechoslovakia, occurring from 17 November to 28 November 1989. Popular demonstrations agains ...
, Havel reportedly proposed the idea of turning the empty lot next to their residence into a cultural centre to Milunić. Milunić formulated the initial design of the building,[ but construction was held up because they could not find an investor to fund the project.] The lot was eventually purchased by Nationale Nederlanden in 1992, with the structure intended to house offices and hotel rooms. Although the bank sought an architect with an international standing for the project, it chose to keep Milunić in a collaborative capacity given his local knowledge and in recognition of his earlier work on the site.[ They first asked ]Jean Nouvel
Jean Nouvel (; born 12 August 1945) is a French architect. Nouvel studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and was a founding member of ''Mars 1976'' and '' Syndicat de l'Architecture'', France’s first labor union for architects. He has o ...
, who turned down the offer, before settling on Frank Gehry.[ The two collaborated on the " Dancing House", which was finished in 1996 and was recognised as the best design of 1996 by '']Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, ...
'' magazine.[ However, the structure was controversial at first, with critics believing that it was disjunctive with its adjacent historical architecture.][ Milunić acknowledged these criticisms, recounting how the project was once compared to a "gold tooth that spoils a smile".] He nevertheless maintained that it was the responsibility of municipal authorities to place limitations on developers in advance of their purchase of a site, adding that "the city's hands are pretty much tied" after that point.[
Apart from the Dancing House, Milunić also designed a number of buildings in the Petřiny housing estate in Veleslavín, part of ]Prague 6
Prague 6, formally the municipal district Prague 6 (''Městská část Praha 6''), is the largest Prague district.
It is located in the north-west of Prague. It covers 41.54 km² and has 100,600 inhabitants (31.12.2008).
The administrative ...
. One of the overseas projects he contributed to was the "Czech Quarter" in Shanghai
Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flowin ...
, the brainchild of a local developer that was finished in 2008. Milunić, one of five Czech architects recruited to work on the project, stated that they intended to use Prague "as an inspiration … not an exact copy".[
]
Personal life
Milunić died on 17 September 2022. He was 81, and suffered from an unspecified serious illness prior to his death.
References
External links
Milunic Atelier Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Milunić, Vlado
1941 births
2022 deaths
Architects from Zagreb
Academic staff of Czech Technical University in Prague
Czech people of Croatian descent
Yugoslav emigrants to Czechoslovakia
Architects from Prague