My Prague: Film architect Jan Vlček considers new buildings to be another planet. He returns the soul to old apartments.
He is associated with films such as Crazy in Love, Word, My Life with Bohuslav Martinů, The Terrorist, In the Net, District League, Quartet, Lidice or Desperate, he also contributed to successful TV series of Czech Television I, Mattoni, The Fourth Star or The Ruin of Dejvice Theater. He was nominated for the Czech Lion for the films Don´t Stop and A Hole in Hanušovice. Film architect, interior designer, painter and graphic artist Jan Vlček prefers a creative approach based on precise author's drawings, which he considers the simplest and fastest way to transfer an idea from the head to paper. Part of his work can currently be seen in the Antikvariát Dejvického divadla, where he has a small exhibition. His apartment in Hradčany "speaks" for him as well.
What brought you specifically to Prague 1? Does Hradčany have any special meaning to you?
It could probably be said that fate brought me here. I come from the Lesser Town, from a family from nové záměcké schody (New Castle Stairs). It is said that souls choose who they want to be born to. Mine indeed wished for Prague. From this, it is clear that I am a Prague patriot and pragocentric (in the right sense) and what this district means to me. I am absolutely convinced that Prague is a living being that communicates with me. I am also a well-known Prague flâneur. What this means, the esteemed reader will certainly be happy to look up.
There is a lot of talk that this part of Prague is primarily a place for tourists, what is it like to live here "normally"?
This place has always been a destination for tourists to some extent. The problem lies in the scale and proportions, which in recent years have completely slipped out of any comparison. It's a problem everywhere in the world. Not just Prague. Applications like Airbnb have made a dent in life in the center of Prague. It practically stopped normal life. There are thousands of apartments that serve as accommodations, not for living and life. That's why rents are expensive, that's why essential infrastructure for living has disappeared. And I caution you that using apartments for short-term accommodation is illegal.
There are places in the center of Prague where it is really impossible to live and bring up the young. And it applies to Prague's fauna as well, perhaps with the exception of rats. But there are also places that have maintained their charm. There are few of them, but they exist, they survive. The genius loci is created by the people who live there and shape their lives. A few of us have stayed here, someone has to stay after all...
Do you have a favorite place here that gives you the feeling of being at home?
Yes. There are a few, for example, I like Goat Square and the area around František. I like Jan's Hill, Castle District, where I live. That, when it comes to "old" Prague. Whenever I go up to Vinohrady, I sort of envy them for the normality of life, how neighborly ties naturally arise there with all that entails. Including gossip...
Looking at the interior of your flat, it's impossible not to ask – did you do all this yourself? Do you invent and design, or do you also take the drill into your hands? And would you let someone interfere with your design?
Necessity taught Dalibor to cook. So yes, I had to learn a lot on the fly. I can handle lighter tasks. But really only the lighter ones...
I design interiors in a way that I listen to the place. It tells me what it wants. And as for style and design, every piece of advice is welcomed, not every one is accepted. I think the hardest thing is to design an apartment or a house for yourself. Arguing with yourself is an exhausting business.
New building, or an older apartment with a soul? And a house, or an apartment? What would you choose at first sight, if you had to choose a living space now?
New builds are a different planet. That's not my world. If I had to choose a place to live now, besides Prague it would be a stone house by the sea in a small, readable town in Italy. It could even be near one of the Lombardy lakes in the Alps. Yeah, that could work. So it's possible to get to Mala Strana in a day :)
What would you advise those who have bought an older flat and plan to renovate it? Do you think you can tastefully upgrade an interior like yours without consulting an architect?
The main thing is to listen to what the apartment is telling you. I have already experienced many failed renovations, which I had to save. It was mainly about returning the soul of that property. A house, an apartment, a cottage. I approach it more as a set designer than as an architect. And I think that at least a consultation with someone who knows how to do it is always beneficial. And the main thing is: Don't rush! Everything that is good in the world is created and was created slowly. From sex to cities.
Many people do not invite experts in interior design for renovations because they are afraid that a stranger will not be able to capture their taste, or will prioritize style over functionality - how do you perceive it?
Fears are certainly justified. It is necessary to be on the same track, to roll the same movie, so to speak. Always find someone who is intuitively close to you. Otherwise, it is a torment for both parties. I only work for people who are similarly tuned, for people I personally find sympathetic. I reject the rest right from the start. We all save ourselves the trouble of participating this way. Everything must be tuned so that form and content create a harmonious whole.
I am absolutely convinced that a tasteful and harmonious living environment, which is the spaces where we live, has almost healing abilities. It is comforting, uplifting, contagiously healthy. It tempts to imitate and it is rightly so. It works. It's not as much of a problem as it might seem. After all, this should apply in life too.
Source: author's text, own questioning
