There where today's post office building stands there used to be a house called “U Bílého Lva” which, in 1752, began to be used for the mail route, running through Litomyšl, between Brno and Prague. It served the post office up to around 1853, when it was demolished and, in 1858, replaced with an architecturally austere, two-storey building. Later, in 1910, this building was severely criticised by the architect Otakar Novotný in his designs for improvements to the town. As was the case with the Girls' school (02-22), he considered the building to be unsuitable among the historical buildings. Therefore, he suggested that three massive lime trees be planted in the lower part of the town square in order to, “at least restrict views of the post office building”. During the 1930s, the post office building was modified according to a design by the Prague architect Bohumil Sláma, resulting in the three-storey building we can see today.
The post office arcade, designed by the architect Josef Pleskot in 2003, appears to be an integral part of Sláma's modifications. The partitioning of the arcade follows the positioning of the windows, and its Minimalist design matches the austere post office facade. The oblong openings of the arcade are of higher proportions with unadorned jambs. With its simplicity of design the arcade is among those buildings of the post-November (1989) period, harking back to inter-war designs which Rostislav Švách classified as “severe”. This inclination towards Minimalism is evident throughout Josef Pleskot's work – the post office arcade resembles that of the town hall in Benešov, also designed by Pleskot.
The arcade appears inconspicuous and, at first glance, one would scarcely guess that it was designed by a renowned architect. Why then, is this design incorporated into the directory of architecture? It is significant from an urban planning point of view rather than an architectonic one. Its formal appearance is purely a result of attempts to embed the arcade organically into the context of the town itself.
The arcade broadens the space in Havlíčkova Street and creates a pedestrian zone connecting Smetana Square with Komenského Square. Before the construction of the arcade, walking along the pavement past the post office facade was a drudge due to the close proximity of traffic. The original designs for modifications to the post office building by the architect Petr Krejčík did not include an arcade, and it was Josef Pleskot who pointed out that Havlíčkova Street required vital modifications. The town council persuaded the Czech Post Office that such modifications were necessary and thus, Litomyšl acquired a new entrance into the town square; an inconspicuous but important element making life in the town that much more pleasant.
EK
