Čeněk Křička

In 1876–1882, Čeněk Křička studied architecture at the Prague Technical University under Professor Josef Schulz. He later expanded his professional knowledge during his stay in Italy, which had an impact on the stylistic focus of his work inspired by the then fashionable Renaissance. After his studies, Křička worked mainly in Kolín, where he designed several projects in the Neo-Renaissance style, such as the Civic Credit Union of 1895. In the same spirit, he designed the Credit Union in Kutná Hora a year earlier (1894). In 1896, his first project related to Hradec Králové was a school building (today the art school in Habrmanova Street) in Prague Suburbs (Pražské Předměstí), the quarter where he further developed his means of expression. Křička notably influenced the appearance of the old Hradec Králové town by breaking the up to then uniform level of the northern buildings in Velké Square. He also designed the house on the corner with Špitálská Street, built for the growing company Berger & Munk selling piece goods. Together with the adjacent building, a couple of three-floor Neo-Renaissance houses grew in 1897–1898. It was an unusual project that stirred debates about its possible negative impact on the historical character of the square. The ‘old character’ of the city square had not changed for more than a century – after the devastating fire in 1762, the original gables were removed from the local houses and replaced by low second floors with horizontal mouldings. Křička’s corner house respects its surroundings at least by extending the historic arcade, to which two arches were added. Křička was also a skilled businessman. In addition to designing buildings, he also went in for construction, and he was in charge of many of his own projects, including the ones in Hradec Králové. Moreover, he operated a chicory factory and founded a paraffin refinery. His activities led him to Ljubljana, where he built a branch of his coffee substitute factory in 1908. The façade of this industrial building represents a fairly successful attempt at a modernist concept. Křička was also very interested in politics – in 1896, he was a member of the Kolín town council for the National Liberal Party (the Young Czech Party), and in 1902–1904, he held the office of the local mayor; eventually, he resigned voluntarily. He moved his activities to Prague, where he obtained a building concession in 1909. He continued to be politically and socially active, and he was elected to the Prague local authority and to the city council. In the 1920s, he became the chairman and later the president of the Prague City Savings Bank. He also built the family tomb in his native village of Libice in 1925, where he was buried.

MP