The exhibition at the YMCA palace commemorates the architect Hnilička, its author

Prague - The architect Eduard Hnilička (1887 to 1967), who was among other things the author of the Prague YMCA Palace, is being highlighted in an exhibition at this very building. The new gallery in the passage of the palace is initiating its activities with this exhibition. In addition to his architectural works, Hnilička also engaged in painting, photography, and typography, and he was also a significant member of the Club for Old Prague.
    Eduard Hnilička belongs to the forgotten creators of First Republic Prague and other locations. He is part of the generation of architects of modern classicism, whose work did not drastically change the face of cities and the countryside, but whose contributions aided quality urbanism, say the exhibition organizers.
    He is among those who, in their early works, briefly touched on rondocubism but did not seek solutions in functionalism, opting instead for the path of modern classicism. In residential buildings and villas, Hnilička enriched this style with horizontal elements, distinctly differentiated in color. However, he never abandoned the classical horizontal element of the cornice. During the period of construction expansion and support for private housing, he worked alongside other leading architects on creating residential colonies, technical buildings, apartment houses, and especially schools.
     He was also a painter and created small applied graphics, such as ex libris or New Year cards for many personalities of that time. He was a very active member of the domestic council of the Club for Old Prague, wrote articles and took photographs, focusing on documenting the disappearing Prague. As a graphic artist, illustrator, and photographer, he contributed to books about Prague.