Osvald Polívka (24 May 1859 in Enns – 30 April 1931 in

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

) was an Austrian Empire-born architect associated with the

Art Nouveau Art Nouveau ( ; ; ), Jugendstil and Sezessionstil in German, is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. It was often inspired by natural forms such as the sinuous curves of plants and ...

period in Prague. Polívka designed many of Prague's significant landmarks of the era, plus other work in

Brno Brno ( , ; ) is a Statutory city (Czech Republic), city in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Located at the confluence of the Svitava (river), Svitava and Svratka (river), Svratka rivers, Brno has about 403,000 inhabitants, making ...

and elsewhere. After graduating from Czech Polytechnic in Prague, his first important commission was a collaboration with Antonín Wiehl, the 1894 Prague City Savings Bank. Polívka's style evolved through his active years but he remained devoted to the collaborating with artists for aesthetic effect. For the ornate landmark Municipal House he coordinated the work of many significant Czech muralists and sculptors of the time, including his friend

Alfons Mucha Alfons Maria Mucha (; 24 July 1860 – 14 July 1939), known internationally as Alphonse Mucha, was a Czech painter, illustrator, and graphic artist. Living in Paris during the Art Nouveau period, he was widely known for his distinctly stylized ...

. He is buried at

Olšany Cemetery Olšany Cemeteries (, ) is the largest graveyard in Prague, Czech Republic, once laid out for as many as two million burials. The graveyard is particularly noted for its many remarkable Art Nouveau monuments. History The Olšany Cemeteries w ...

in Prague.

Major architectural projects

* Prague City Savings Bank, Old Town Square, together with Antonín Wiehl, 1894, with distinctive architectural sculptural groups by Bohuslav Schnirch * Zemská Banka head office, Na příkopě, 1895-1896 * Assicurazioni Generali offices, now the Viola Building, with Friedrich Ohmann, #7

Wenceslas Square Wenceslas Square (Czech language, Czech: , colloquially ''Václavák'' ; German language, German: ''Wenzelsplatz'') is one of the main city squares and the centre of the business and cultural communities in the New Town, Prague, New Town of Pr ...

, 1897 * U Nováků department store, 1902–1903 * co-architect with Municipal House (Obecní dům), with , 1904–1912 * Topič House, circa 1905 * the New Town Hall of Prague, 1908–1911, with architectural sculpture by

Stanislav Sucharda

Stanislav Sucharda (12 November 1866 in Nová Pa ...

, Josef Mařatka and Ladislav Šaloun * Gallery of Modern Art in

Hradec Králové Hradec Králové (; ) is a city of the Czech Republic. It has about 94,000 inhabitants. It is the capital of the Hradec Králové Region. The historic centre of Hradec Králové is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech R ...

, 1912, with allegorical sculpture by Šaloun flanking the entrance Image:Praha Nova radnice.jpg, New Town Hall, Prague File:Palác České obchodní společnosti v Ústí n. L.jpg, Czech Trading Company, Prague File:Secesni-vodarna.jpg, Teuna Waterworks Image:Prag obecni dûm gemeindehaus.jpg, Municipal House, Prague

References

External links

Osvald Polívka at the archiweb.cz

1859 births 1931 deaths Czech architects Art Nouveau architects People from Linz-Land District Burials at Olšany Cemetery Architects from Austria-Hungary {{CzechRepublic-architect-stub