Small architecture: a new book on the history of bentwood furniture production
The story of Dřevopodnik Holešov, once the largest manufacturer of wood laminate furniture (bent wooden slats) in Central Europe, began in 1958. The leading figure of the company was architect Ludvík Volák (1909–1989), who managed to build on the regional furniture-making tradition of the First Republic and bring Scandinavian inspiration to it. This resulted in furniture of unusually high functional and aesthetic quality. This unprecedented phenomenon on the domestic market was noticed by leading Czechoslovak architects, who began inviting Dřevopodnik to collaborate on state contracts. In the 1960s, a brand was born that was able to create internationally acclaimed design from local resources.
It was thanks to collaboration with leading architects and designers that the unique interiors of Czechoslovak embassies, EXPO pavilions, hotels, ČSA offices, and cultural and restaurant facilities were created, which to this day, in symbiosis with numerous works of art, represent the best of Czechoslovak visual culture. “In the case of furniture, we often see original artifacts created specifically for certain spaces—most of which, unfortunately, no longer exist today. Custom collaborations with leading Czechoslovak designers and small-batch production made the furniture valuable but often unavailable,” says editor and co-author of the publication Klára Jeništová.
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The rich pictorial supplement draws on period materials and shows both famous and hitherto completely unknown furniture models created using the unique method of bending slats.
The publication was created as a catalog for the exhibition of the same name, Small Architecture, which took place at the Olomouc Museum of Art from June 19 to October 12, 2025. However, the book significantly expands and transcends the exhibition. It thus becomes part of mapping the history of the Czech and Czechoslovak furniture industry.
Small architecture
Furniture and interior design by Dřevopodnik Holešov
- editor: Klára Jeništová
- texts: Klára Jeništová, Dagmar Koudelková, Anežka Šimková, Adam Štěch
- proofreading: Alexandr Jeništa
- translation: Simon Gill
- graphic design and pre-press: Beáta Zdražilová
- print: Tiskárny Havlíčkův Brod
- publisher: Muzeum umění Olomouc, 2025
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)