The first grandiose public building in Litomyšl in the new Czechoslovak state was the Lidový dům – a multi-purpose building serving the needs of Catholic-orientated organisations, built in 1922. The project, an eclectic mixture of Neo-renaissance and Secession styles, was designed by the local builder Václav Šilhavý and still bears features of his pre-war work.
The complex partition of its mass makes for a distinctive building. The dominant shape of the exterior is a tall prism crowned with an asymmetrical domed roof, as if reflecting the nearby Smetana House built, however, twenty years earlier (02-402). The main entrance to the building originally faced out onto the former Kodymka Street, towards the Masaryk Quarter being constructed at that time. However, in the 1980s, the construction of the main road in the close vicinity of the building entailed landscaping changes which debased the frontage of the building, causing the main entrance to be relocated towards Vodní valy Street on the opposite side. The main hall on the first floor, illuminated by arched windows, was accessed from Kodymka Street via two flights of stairs. It was, however, also possible to enter via a passageway, through ornamental, stained glass doors.
A great deal of attention was paid to the building's stucco decoration. Its designer Luděk Vocelka, a pupil of Stanislav Sucharda and Celestin Klouček at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague, applied scenes with geometrical, vegetal and figural motifs. He concentrated the main iconographic layout towards the main entrance facade. He divided the five-axis facade into four pilasters topped with figures of putti – allegories of Labour (featuring a hammer), Theatre (featuring a mask), Song? (featuring a roll of notes?) and Harvest (featuring a sickle and a sheaf of grain). On the central section of the low, polygonal gable he rendered a dialogue between a winged female figure and two children, and on either side, a further two allegorical figures.
Rich, decorative stucco work was also applied to the interiors, especially in the main hall on the first floor which features non-traditional, Gothic-style patterns on the ceiling. Neither the gym hall of the Orel organization, the restaurant on the ground floor, nor the other public areas were decorated in such a ceremonial spirit.
The official consecration and opening of the Lidový dům took place between the 23rd and 24th of September 1922 and was attended by Cardinal Marmaggi, the Papal nuncio in Czechoslovakia (Pope Benedict XV financially contributed towards the building). From 1999 to 2002, the building underwent a complete reconstruction. Thanks to the authenticity of the majority of its preserved features, and above all thanks to its high-quality stucco decoration, the building was awarded cultural heritage status.
