Art News

Czech architect Karel Hubacek dies at 87

PRAGUE (AP).- Architect Karel Hubacek, whose bold hyperboloid design for an elegant mountain-top hotel was named the most significant Czech building of the 20th century, has died. He was 87 Liberec City Hall in the Czech Republic’s north — where Hubacek lived and designed his famed tower building — said in a statement Wednesday that he had died. No more details were given. Hubacek moved from his native Prague to Liberec in 1951. His famed tower hotel, that also serves as a television transmitter, is situated on the nearby Jested mountain. The building, whose silhouette has become the symbol of the city, was completed in 1973. Hubacek was awarded the prestigious Auguste Perret Prize by the International Union of Architects in 1969 for the design.