Hulec & Špička, Architects – CORA is a leading Czech architectural firm concentrating on the preservation and restoration of historic buildings and sites. It closely cooperates with multi-disciplined teams of experts, ranging from construction and plumbing engineers to conservators and material technologists in the field of historic architecture and its conservation. The company has two branches: Hulec & Špička, Architects specialize in the restoration and conservation planning of important historical monuments (often listed as National Cultural Monuments and dating approximately from the 12th to 20th century) and their re-use, as well as the development and urban planning of significant historical sites (e.g. Lednice - Valtice area – the UNESCO World Heritage Site in south Moravia). Recently - in 2006 and 2007 - H&Š designed and supervised the complex restoration of the exterior of the U.S. Ambassador´s Residence in Prague as well as the municipal arts gallery and concert hall in the former Dominican Monastery in Opava, 2009-2011.
CORA – The Centre for the Preservation of Architecture is a not-profit branch, which concentrates on financing and providing the conservation of endangered cultural monuments. At present, it has two leading projects: the Restoration of Baroque Castle Theatres in Bohemia and Moravia and the Restoration of Czech Baroque Organs. The seat of the company is in the Czech capital – Prague.
Architect and university professor, head of the Restoration and Preservation Studio of the School of Architecture, Czech Technical University in Prague. Co-founder of the Centre for the Preservation of Architecture – CORA, co-founder and during 1996 – 2001 chairman of the board of trustees of the Institute for Restoration and Conservation Techniques in Litomyšl. His most important architectural projects include the reconstruction of the late Gothic Corpus Christi Chapel in Kutná Hora (13th century), the conservation and completion of the restoration school grounds in Litomyšl (14th to 19th century), planning for the reconstruction of the Royal Hunting Lodge in Prague (together with D. Špička) and other conservation projects of historical monuments in cooperation with architect Daniel Špička (for instance the Romanesque chapel in Cheb Castle (12th century), the Renaissance cemetery church in Horní Maršov (16th century), castle and chateau Škvorec near Prague, the Gothic and Baroque church of St. Václav in Opava, the Baroque castle theatre in Valtice, the Piarist Monastery college in Litomyšl, U.S. Ambassador´s Residence (CMR) in Prague).
Architect and designer, co-founder and from 1995 president of the Prague Centre for the Preservation of Architecture - CORA. He started his career in 1963 as a chief designer for the interiors of Czechoslovak airports (Holešov, Prague, Sliač, Bratislava, Košice), which he designed often in collaboration with foremost Czech artists. In 1968 opened his own studio in partnership with ing. arch. Josef Vrana; they designed houses, interiors and exhibitions in Czechoslovakia and abroad. Their important design of an office building INPRO (now Ministery) in Prague 10 was completed in 1976. The studio was abolished by the Communists in 1970.
As a freelance furniture designer (the only option for a politically non-loyal architect) he concentrated on furniture and interior designs, preservation and restoration studies, exhibitions and museum installations in Czechoslovakia, Poland, France, Yugoslavia etc.
His designs received numerous awards at international furniture fairs and his “one-man” exhibition of Lighting Objects in Centrum Gallery in Prague (1978) was highly acclaimed.
Together with sculptor Pavel Přikryl designed and completed the „Great stone fountain“ in front of the above mentioned INPRO house in Prague (1981) and a horizontal relief “Brick garden” in Rakovník (1983)
From 1988 cooperation with the World Monuments Fund (N.Y.), preparing restoration projects for Moravian historical monuments and landmarks (Valtice, Lednice). As an artistic director of the Valtice Baroque Festival he concentrated on theatre and stage design.
His last independent projects (1990-1999) include historic and modern interior designs for Živnostenská Banka, Čechofracht, Royal Bank and Honeywell in Prague and the complete conservation project for the reconstruction of the family house of Professor Pavel Janák (the founder of the Czech Cubist style in architecture) in Baba, Prague 6.
After 1990 lectured in London, New York and Salzburg on Prague historical buildings and preservation in the Czech lands and his publishing activities have been concerned mainly with the historical colouring of Czech and Moravian architecture.
After founding Hulec & Špička Architects (1999), worked on restoration projects of Baroque Castle Theatres in the Czech Republic, restoration projects of Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque Churches, conservation and restoration project of the Baroque Royal Hall in Stromovka Park in Prague, architectural study for the Czech Trade and Culture Centre in Baghdad, restoration of the Škvorec Castle and many other architectural and restoration projects (all with architect Mikuláš Hulec).