Vila na Rezku, Folk secession villa in Nové Město nad Metují, Czech Republic
Vila na Rezku is a one-storey wooden villa near the Rezek spa by Nové Město nad Metují, built in 1900–1901 by Dušan Jurkovič for Robert Bartelmus. It stands on a plinth of rough-hewn opuka, with irregular massing, varied roofs, balconies and dormers, and a wooden gate with a shelter. Inside, a living room over two storeys high is surrounded by smaller rooms.
Architect Dušan Jurkovič built this villa between 1900 and 1901 for Brno factory owner Robert Bartelmus, drawing on his earlier success with the Pustevny resort. The project marked a period of creative expansion for the architect as he refined his regional design approach.
The villa's name comes from the nearby Rezek spa, and it is also called Bartelmusova vila after its first owner. Jurkovič furnished the rooms with pieces modelled on rustic folk furniture and Art Nouveau ornament, and the whole interior, from carpets and upholstery to curtains, is kept in warm reddish, bluish and yellow-brown tones.
The villa is a private residence and is not open to visitors; it can only be seen from the public path near the Rezek spa. The wooden entrance gate with its shelter marks the boundary of the grounds, and the sloping meadow toward the southwest gives the best view of the facades and roofs.
The architect married Božena Bartelmus, daughter of the villa's original owner, in 1903, creating an unusual personal bond between designer and client. This connection may explain the exceptional care and attention to detail visible in the home's design.
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