Vila Kouřimka, Art Nouveau villa in Poděbrady II, Czech Republic

Vila Kouřimka is a Secession villa built in 1913–1915 on Pionýrů Street at the corner of the spa park in Poděbrady. Its main facade faces the park and is dominated by a projecting bay with a semicircular oriel on the first floor, topped by high stepped gables. The walls combine unrendered opuka stone, red brick and decorative sandstone elements, without sculptural ornament.

Františka Geisselreiterová commissioned the guesthouse from architect Josef Fanta, who drew the plans in 1910; the Poděbrady builder Josef Koch carried out the construction between 1913 and 1915, after the town's spa was founded in 1908. The house first bore the name Charitas and was later renamed Kouřimka after the birthplace of Geisselreiter's husband, a director. Fanta had earlier designed a villa for her brother-in-law Vojtěch Obereigner.

The house reveals how prosperous families of the early 1900s decorated their homes with contemporary artistic elements and modern design choices. Walking around it, you notice how these visual choices reflected the tastes and values of the period.

The building sits in a quiet residential area and can be viewed from the outside without special arrangements needed. You get the most from a visit by taking time to study the facade details and observe the craftsmanship at your own pace.

Fanta designed the villa as a bridge between classical forms he had studied in Southern Europe and modern design principles of his time. This experiment at the intersection of old and new makes the house particularly instructive for anyone interested in how architectural styles evolve.