The Litomyšl Architectural Manual (LAM), supported by the Town Gallery in Litomyšl, is a Czech-English database for professionals and the public containing information concerning 143 significant architectural and artistic structures, artefacts, building complexes and modified public spaces undertaken in Litomyšl from 1900 to the present.
At the present time, the selected sites are linked together along the routes of seven trails and sixteen trips which, with the help of an interactive map, guide enthusiasts through the historic centre, adjoining quarters and nearby villages. These trails can be also undertaken, themed according to typology, period or designer.
The core of the database is made up of texts not merely describing the significance and architectonic or artistic concept of the selected sites, but also offering information concerning their history and the circumstances of their creation. Consequently, the texts tell the stories behind the lives and the work of the architects, design studios and artists, and ultimately show how, throughout an almost hundred-and-twenty-year period, the approach to integrating modern architecture into the fabric of the historical town as well as the restoration of significant local buildings has changed.
Audio recordings, archive photographs and building plans accompany the individual explanatory texts and signposting for the public will be added in the future. In concept, this project is directly linked to the Brno Architecture Manual (BAM, http://www.bam.brno.cz) and the Plzeň Architecture Manual (PAM, http://pam.plzne.cz) – both successful projects for the presentation and popularizing of architecture of the first half of the 20th century. However, contrary to its forerunners, LAM includes contemporary architecture within its trails, as its high quality has been long emphasized.
Information about the individual buildings can also be acquired through guided walks within the framework of the cycle Procházky (s) městem (Walks through (with) the town), and by means of a printed guide-map.
The project was made possible thanks to the financial support of the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic and Litomyšl town council.
Project team
Project manager / Dana Schlaichertová [2017–2019], Anna Waisserová (Šubrtová) [2019], Martina Zuzaňáková [2020–2021]
Project guarantor, author of concept / Anna Waisserová (Šubrtová)
Co-authors of concept / Lenka Backová, Dana Schlaichertová
Texts / Lenka Backová (LB), Lucie Janošíková (LJ), Karolina Jirkalová (KJ), Petr Kočí (PK), Eliška Koryntová (EK), Ivana Láníková (IL), Martina Mertová (MM), Anna Waisserová Šubrtová (AW, AŠ), Zuzana Tomanová (ZT), Lucie Valdhansová (LV), Stanislav Vosyka (SV)
Photographs / Nikola Tláskalová
Graphic design / Bušek&Dienstbier
Database and website/ Via Aurea, s. r. o.
Research / Lenka Backová, Petr Kočí, Dana Schlaichertová, Anna Waisserová (Šubrtová), Zuzana Tomanová, Stanislav Vosyka
Reproduced photographs of sites / Filip Šlapal (03-312)
Map bases / Google API
Lectures / Stanislav Vosyka
Proofreading / Stanislav Vosyka
English translation / Ivan N. Pachl
German translation / Pavlína Dufková
German correction / Ferdinand Bier
Czech voices of audioguides / Hana Švehelková, Lubomír Švehelka
English voices of audioguides / Ivan N. Pachl, Dagmar Betty Vaněk Bradáč
Cut of audioguides / Miroslav Techlovský
Further cooperation / Lenka Backová, Tereza Jiroušková, Dita Leitnerová, Nikola Tláskalová, Pavel Waisser
Materials from collections and archives
Litomyšl Town Council – Building department, Svitavy State Archives – Litomyšl branch (SOkA Svitavy), Litomyšl Regional Museum, Litomyšl Town Gallery, Litomyšl Town Council – Department of Culture and Tourism, abArt, Digital Library – Kramerius web interface, Pardubice department of National Heritage Institute – Area Archive, ČVUT Archive in Prague, Ústí nad Labem Town Archive, Litoměřice Town Council, State Regional Archive in Zámrsk – State District Archive in Ústí nad Orlicí, Prague Polytechnic Surveying College, private archives and archives of cooperating architectural design studios.
Conceptual and procedural models
Brno Architectural Manual (BAM) / bam.brno.cz
Plzeň Architectural Manual (PAM) / pam.plzne.cz
Implementation of project
Litomyšl Town Gallery
Many thanks to
Libor Aksler, Matěj Barla, Martin Boštík, Daniel Brýdl, Miroslav Brýdl, Eva Bulantová, Jan Červenka, Karel Čuma, Mirka Dušková, Milan Dvořák, Milada Dvořáková, Josef Filipi, Martina Flekačová Koukalová, Jiří Frajdl, Jan Gloser, Ivana Heiderová, Věra Hladíková, Lucie Horská, Pavel Hýbl, Petr Jandík, Dagmar Janková, Klára Jeništová, Veronika Jičínská, Karel Kalousek, René Klimeš, Hana Klimešová, Vladimíra Krejčová, Jiří Lammel, Pavla Lněničková, Tomáš Lustyk, Jana Mansfeldová, Josef Motyčka, Šárka Mrázová, Aleš Ogoun, Josef Opatřil, Oldřich Pakosta, Terezie Petišková, Jiří Randák, Jan Rektořík, Vladislava Říhová, Pavel Sodomka, Vít Šmerha, Petr Šmolík, Rostislav Švácha, Viktor Tichý, Lucie Valdhansová, Michal Vlach, Pavel Vopálka, Miluše Vopařilová, participating architectural design studio
Special thanks to
Litomyšl Town Mayor Radomil Kašpar for his personal support for the project
Litomyšl Town Council
Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic
The Brno House of Arts
Owners, co-owners and caretakers of properties who gave their consent to the publication of archive material and subsequent documentation
