The modernist adaptation and extension of the school building was one of the most architecturally daring realisations of its time in Kojetin, despite the fact that the original design from the pen of the Brno architect Eduard Žáček in the intentions of white “Brno” functionalism was substantially reduced. When looking at the local production till then, one may suspect that the reason for the retreat from Žáčekʼs initial radical project may have been, in addition to financial issues, questions of taste and the moderation of the local architectural culture.
The Ministry of Public Works ordered the necessary adaptation and modification of the existing two-storey building of the Provincial School of Economics, dating from 1900-1901, at the intersection of Svatopluk Čech, Hanusíkova, and 6. května Streets. The newly-established board of trustees for construction, together with the schoolʼs principal Matúš Varta, chose for this task the architect Eduard Žáček, a native of nearby Kroměříž, who had proved himself with, for example, a set of school buildings in nearby Prostějov. The assignment of April 1938 was followed in rapid succession by two autumn versions of the project documentation, the first self-consciously generous, the second considerably more restrained. The project was further modified and approved in the spring of 1940. In spite of the war events and financial problems, the construction work proceeded quickly and was completed the following year.
The main goals of the reconstruction were, in addition to the modernisation of the existing building, to build a new gymnasium with facilities, new classrooms, and an apartment for the principal, all connected by new communication staircases. In the first project Žáček designed a modernist extension of the new entrance wing and gymnasium connecting to the existing building from the right as a new dominant feature of the whole, distinctive thanks not only to the refined functionalist expression of the clean façade with strip windows and large glass surfaces, but also to the rounded curve in the floor plan. The architect also added a new volume to the old building from the left. Although he made it more interesting by causing the ground plan to undulate, he left it with a more humble scale and proportions corresponding to the original building. He proposed to change its façade consistently, including changing the shape of the windows, in order to unify it.
As already indicated, a revised, more moderate project was finally implemented, in which the body of the gymnasium is connected to the existing building, this time from the left and longitudinally. Cornices and framing stretched around the old facade were added. Above them Žáček placed a two-storey extension distinguished by a different rhythm of window openings and type of surface treatment and a hipped roof. However, the final realisation in 1940 underwent further partial changes, with the result that Žáčekʼs contribution was largely obscured.
In addition to new classrooms, a gymnasium, and teachers` rooms, the adapted building, with its newly deepened vestibule, also had other modern and practical facilities, including a dining room, a projection chamber, and an inspection room, but, for example, also a storage space for bicycles. As was the custom, the building concentrated the principalʼs flat on the ground floor, in this case a three-bedroom flat with all the fixtures and fittings and its own access to the garden.
In 1999, when the building already housed a grammar school, an extension for nine further classrooms was built, connecting to the building from the right. The problems with the lack of space for teaching persisted; in 2010, another adaptation was implemented – a loft extension. The modern adaptations included, among other things, the insulation of the façades with non-original colours and the replacement of windows. The period architectural character of the building is now essentially obscured.
NK (translation by SG)
Sources
Olomouc, Státní okresní archiv Olomouc, Eduard Žáček, Technická průvodní zpráva k návrhu na přístavbu a přestavbu budovy Zemské odborné hospodářské školy v Kojetíně, 1940.
Martina Horáčková, Architektura střední Moravy, 1918–1945: Přerov, Kroměříž, Bystřice pod Hostýnem, Holešov, Kojetín (diploma thesis), Katedra teorie a dějin výtvarných umění FFUP, Olomouc 2004.
