…the spirit of the First Republic can be felt at every turn
Červený Kostelec is a town in the Náchod District of the Hradec Králové Region, with approximately 8,500 inhabitants. The town is divided into seven parts: Červený Kostelec, Bohdašín, Horní Kostelec, Lhota za Červeným Kostelcem, Mstětín, Olešnice, and Stolín. Among its notable landmarks is the Church of St. James the Greater, located on T. G. Masaryk Square. Near the plot of Just’s villa is the J. K. Tyl Theatre, the town’s cultural center.
The building in question is located in Červený Kostelec at 17. listopadu Street, No. 721. It is a two-story, basement-equipped house with an attic and a gable roof. The building has been unused for several years, causing some structures to degrade and no longer fulfill their original functions.
The main entrance is on the first floor. Access to the main hall is through an elevated veranda and entrance vestibule. The hall is connected to a staircase that runs through all floors of the house. From the hall, one can access individual rooms – originally, the first floor housed a salon with a dining area and a kitchen with a maid’s quarters. In the southeastern part of the building, a room was added in later years, connected to a terrace.
The staircase with wooden treads is located in the central section of the building’s northeast part. The landing is inserted into an arch that protrudes from the façade. A clear view through all the living floors forms the staircase’s visual axis.
The second floor follows the layout of the first. The hall again connects to living spaces – originally children’s rooms, guest rooms, and a bedroom. From the children’s room, there is access through a bathroom to a veranda, which is connected to the terrace created by the room extension.
The third floor, the attic, contains a small hall at the top of the stairs, a storage room, and access to the attic space with an open roof structure in good condition. Two simple wooden structures were built into the attic to create small storage areas.
The basement extends under the footprint of the first floor. Access is possible via the hall on the first floor, a separate entrance near the staircase landing, or directly from the terrain on the building’s eastern side. In the western basement, which is deeper in the terrain, there were service areas – originally used for storing coal, coke, and food. The southwest part of the building was likely used as living space.
Among the original interior elements, the windows (likely including grilles), doors (with handles and frames), radiators, wooden paneling, and staircase railing have been preserved. The vestibule, hall, and staircase are the best-preserved areas. On the second floor, the bedroom retains its original furniture set.
The windows are wooden sash windows and can be restored and reused. The wooden doors with frames can also be refurbished. It is recommended to preserve the original paneling and interior details.
The exterior of the villa appears neglected – some window sills are missing, the plaster is cracked, and efflorescence is visible. The current color is likely not original; according to the design, the plaster and cornices were meant to have two different shades, with the plaster on the cornices being darker.
The roof covering matches the original design – red Eternit sheets with copper gutters and details. However, it is no longer in good condition and has lost its original color. Some roof tiles are degraded and moss-covered in places. The stone cladding on the façade, reaching approximately the height of the first floor, should be preserved after cleaning and minor repairs.
The garden is intact but not well-maintained. In the part adjacent to 17. listopadu Street, mature trees and shrubs are present. The rear section of the garden, adjoining the ground floor of the building, features a paved area. A walkway with steps, compensating for the different levels, runs around the entire house.
Basement Floor
On this level, a small apartment was created with a kitchenette, which could also be used independently. The studio apartment can be accessed both from the garden and via a passage from the staircase leading down from the upper floors. The kitchen area and apartment entrance were arranged so that one wall of the kitchen can accommodate a wardrobe.
For the bistro, the design follows the original concept with a bar located in the central part of the space. The area has been supplemented with a basic kitchen, service rooms, storage, and restrooms. Access to the adjusted outdoor terrain is provided through three French windows.
Upper Floor
The coworking space is connected to the exterior through the main entrance of the villa. Access is also possible via the staircase in the southern part of the building, which leads to the terrace.
The main entrance to the meeting room is supplemented with a corridor featuring a translucent partition, allowing access to the coworking space without passing through the meeting room. This also reduces the size of the meeting room, preventing unnecessary use of space. A cloakroom is located at the entrance. The original cloakroom at the current entrance has been relocated to the apartment hall opposite the staircase.
The kitchen opens into the coworking area through three passages, increasing natural light. The women’s restroom is connected to the kitchen, while the men’s restroom is accessed from the hallway.
Second Floor
The staircase is separated by a translucent arched partition, mirroring the shape of the staircase’s curved wall. In the entrance area, a built-in wardrobe with a shoe cabinet has been added. The shared bathroom remains in its original location and includes a bathtub, washing machine, and sink. Next to this bathroom is the children’s room, providing a separate space for children to spend time together.
The bedroom is located in the western part of the building, adjacent to the living room. It features a private bathroom with a shower, toilet, sink, and bidet sprayer. The bathroom could be enhanced with a skylight in the partition or made from translucent material to allow natural light to enter.
The living room is spacious, with a dining area, fireplace, and an original 1950s furniture wall. The kitchen adjoins the living room and connects to the terrace through three French windows. Next to the kitchen is a conservatory, visible from the kitchen through a window above the countertop.
Attic
The staircase is again separated by a translucent arched partition. From the vestibule, one enters the main room with sleeping areas. Access to the sleeping mezzanine is via a staircase located in front of the chimney. The mezzanine is separated by a wall for added privacy. Sleeping areas on the lower level are raised above the level of the structural beams.
The kitchen is spacious, with seating and access to a balcony through a walk-through roof window. The bathroom includes a separate toilet and shower.
Before starting the drawings and design, a fairly detailed architectural and historical survey of the building was conducted. As part of the survey, in which we placed the building in its historical context, we traced the history of the main builder, the owner, the architect of the renovation, the interior, and the overall story of the villa up to the present day. The survey’s findings were then compiled into a small hardcover booklet.
You can browse it here in our studio, comfortably over a cup of coffee…
... passage from the book:
The Just Villa in Červený Kostelec was built in 1935 (building permit issued in 1933). The owner of the land and villa was Jan Just, the grandson of Antonín Just Sr.
He lived there with his wife, Ludmila Justová. Their son, Jan Just Jr., inherited the villa in 1945. The Just family likely also had a daughter, Lída (Liduška), shown in the attached photographs, and according to family information, possibly another daughter.
The villa was constructed by the office of Robert Dvořáček, with František Holý and Josef Vejr serving as construction experts. According to the permit, the building was executed according to the documentation, with the floor level set 200 cm above ground. The windows were designed to open inward. The roof covering was hard and red in color. The plaster and façade were executed to harmonize with the overall street appearance.
The construction also included a notice regarding fencing work, which resulted in a fence with a stone base, iron structure, and wire mesh.
Authors: Michal Rouha, Magdaléna Přečková
Collaboration: Marie Delongová, Hana Švehlová
Location: Červený Kostelec
