Architect - more famous today than in his time

In our restoration studio, furniture by architect Jindřich Halabala for renovation appears quite often. I do not wonder this fact at all. After all, the production from the 20th to 30th years of the Brno Arts and crafts industries was timeless, modern and of high utility value.

Jindřich Halabala (1903 - 1978) trained in his father's workshop in Moravian Koryčany and then studied at a vocational school in Valašské Meziříčí and with professor Janák at the School of Applied Arts in Prague. After graduating in 1928, he joined the UP races, where he played several roles. In addition to the shop manager, he was responsible for the composition of the production assortment and also desingned the furniture. After two years, he became the chief architect and he also promoted the entire company that did not have competition in her field. UP races have become a progressive enterprise, whether in the processing of furniture and accessories, or in a cultivated way of presentation.

Halabal's proposals were based on functionalist ideas so that the new style of living was practical, comfortable and beautiful. He proposed all sorts of products even in times when he became the Deputy Director of the whole company.

The production of UP races was so successful that the company had 17 outlets in Czechoslovakia, and the furniture could be seen in almost every second household.

After 1946, when the UP races were nationalized, things took a different direction. In 1948, other furniture companies were joined to the UP, and it was expected mass production. Halabala realized the decline care of housing culture, and after a futile effort to promote new proposals, Halabala focused on teaching and worked as a professor at the college in Košice and later in Zvolen.

At present, Halabal's furniture is as popular as it used to be, perhaps even more, with an antique touch. Although some designs will be nearly 100 years old, they are still modern and timeless, and are among the most popular pieces between collectors and design fans.

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With the motto "It's an Art to Know"

David Fiala