Antonín Engel (May 4, 1879 – October 12, 1958) was a Czech architect, urban planner and architectural theorist. His most known works are the Prague Waterworks building in Podolí, the Ministry of Railways and Ministry of Defense buildings and the urban conception of the Prague quarter,

Dejvice Dejvice is a historical community, a municipal quarter of the Prague 6 district of Prague, Czech Republic. Its history can be traced back to the late Roman era. Dejvice is known for its appeal to the upper middle class, foreign diplomatic corps ...

. He is considered the last master of

neo-renaissance Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th century architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range ...

and

neo-classicism Neoclassicism (also spelled Neo-classicism) was a Western cultural movement in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that drew inspiration from the art and culture of classical antiquity. Neoclassicism w ...

in Czech culture.

Life

Born on 4 May 1879 in Poděbrady to the sugar producer Augustin Engel. Soon after birth, the family moved to

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and List of cities in the Czech Republic, largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 milli ...

. In 1897 he graduated from the Imperial Czech High School in Malá Strana. He furthered his education in architecture and structural engineering at the Czech Technical University in Prague with Jan Koula (1897–1903) and completed three semesters at the German University of Technology with

Josef Zítek Josef von Zítek (18321909) was a Czech architect best known for two Neo-Renaissance landmarks in Prague, the National Theatre and the Rudolfinum.Prague City Hall Prague City Hall ( Czech: ''Magistrát hlavního města Prahy'') is the municipal and regional office of Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. It is formed by the Chief Executive of Prague City Hall and other employees of the City of Prague i ...

which led to him touring

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

and

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

. Between 1905 and 1908, he continued his studies with

Otto Wagner Otto Koloman Wagner (; 13 July 1841 – 11 April 1918) was an Austrian architect, furniture designer and urban planner. He was a leading member of the Vienna Secession movement of architecture, founded in 1897, and the broader Art Nouveau move ...

at the Vienna Academy, where his urban planning project of the Prague district

Letná Letná is a hill overlooking Prague historic centre and Vltava River just besides Prague Castle. It neighbours Stromovka, the largest park in Prague. The hill belongs to Holešovice and Bubeneč quarters of Prague 7 Prague 7 is a municipal d ...

won the

Rome Prize The Rome Prize is awarded by the American Academy in Rome, in Rome, Italy. Approximately thirty scholars and artists are selected each year to receive a study fellowship at the academy. Prizes have been awarded annually since 1921, with a hiatus ...

and led to a scholarship in

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

. Engel opened his own studio in Prague in 1909. From 1912 to 1921 he was professor at the Prague School of Construction Engineering. In 1922 he became a professor at the Czech Technical University in Prague, eventually serving as its rector from 1939 to 1940. His most active period was during the 1920s (in the era of the independent

Czechoslovak Republic Czechoslovak Republic (Czech and Slovak: ''Československá republika, ČSR''), was the official name of Czechoslovakia between 1918 and 1939 and between 1945 and 1960. See: *First Czechoslovak Republic (1918–1938) *Second Czechoslovak Republic ...

which chose Prague as its capital), when he contributed significantly to the urban development of the city as a member of the State Regulatory Commission and was very active in publishing. In 2002, the Government of the Czech Republic named Engel an Honorary Citizen of

Prague 6 Prague 6, formally the municipal district Prague 6 (''Městská část Praha 6''), is the largest Prague district. It is located in the north-west of Prague. It covers 41.54 km² and has 100,600 inhabitants (31.12.2008). The administrative ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Engel, Antonín 1879 births 1958 deaths People from Poděbrady Czech Technical University in Prague alumni Czech Technical University in Prague faculty 20th-century Czech architects