Vlastimil Koubek (March 17, 1927 – February 15, 2003) was an American architect who designed more than 100 buildings, most of them in the Washington metropolitan area, and whose total value topped $2 billion. Most of his work is Modernist in style,Gunts, Edward. "Designer Believed: Koubek's Vision Brought Tower to Inner Harbor." Baltimore Sun. February 24, 2003. although he developed a few structures in other vernaculars. He created the site plan for the redevelopment of Rosslyn, Virginia, and his Ames Center anchored the area's economic recovery. He designed the World Building in Silver Spring, Maryland, which sparked redevelopment of that town's downtown; and the L'Enfant Plaza Hotel in Washington, D.C. In 1985, Washingtonian magazine called him one of 20 people "who in the past 20 years had the greatest impact on the way we live and who forever altered the look of Washington.""Architect Vlastimil Koubek Dies at 75." The Washington Post. February 18, 2003.Conconi, Chuck. "Personalities." The Washington Post. September 25, 1985. In 1988, The Washington Post newspaper said his Willard Hotel renovation was one of 28 projects in the area that made a signal contribution to the "feel" and look of Washington, D.C.Lewis, Roger K. "Critics Pick 28 Projects That Contribute to Area's 'Built Environment'." The Washington Post. March 12, 1988.
Early life and education Koubek was born in Brno, Czechoslovakia, and received his degree in architecture from the Faculty of Architecture at Czech Technical University.Whitney, Elizabeth. "Koubek: Escape to Success.", St. Petersburg Times. December 31, 1967.] After graduation, he worked for several Czech architecture firms, designing office buildings.
Because he and his father held strong anti-communist beliefs, Koubek decided to flee Czechoslovakia after the Communist coup d'état of February 1948. He tried but failed to cross the border into the American Zone of Occupation of Allied-occupied Germany.Willmann, John B. "It's Happening in Real Estate." The Washington Post. February 3, 1968. A second attempt in July succeeded. In October 1948, Koubek emigrated to the United Kingdom, where he worked in a brickyard, as a draftsman for the city of Gloucester and county of Gloucestershire, a draftsman for the Ministry of Works, and announcer for the Czech-language news service of the BBC. He met his future wife, Eva, in a bookstore in London. Eva was born in Prague, the daughter of a Czech Army officer. Her brother, whom she later rescued, was imprisoned in a concentration camp in Nazi Germany during World War II.
The couple emigrated to the United States via Ellis Island on February 8, 1952, and initially lived in New York City. When they arrived they had $6 in their pockets.Donihi, Rosemary. "Emigre Nobility: 'We All Cling Together'." The New York Times. February 14, 1971. They married in New York City on August 9, 1952, with Eva (the only one with any funds) paying the $2 marriage license fee. He worked as a draftsman for the architectural firm of Emery Roth and Sons, the city's largest architectural firm and a noted designer of office buildings, for a year. In 1953, Koubek entered the United States Army, where he worked for the Army Exhibit Unit, which creates displays and presentations about Army history, organization, and culture for the public. Koubek and his wife became naturalized United States citizens, moved to Washington, D.C, and raised a daughter, Jana. He briefly worked for the D.C.-based Edward Weihe architectural firm.
Career
Koubek passed his architectural exam and established Koubek Architects in 1957."9 Become Registered Architects." The Washington Post. August 10, 1957. One of his first commissions to be built was Southern Maryland Medical Center (now Southern Maryland Hospital Center) in Clinton, Maryland."Southern Maryland Medical Center." The Washington Post. February 21, 1959. His first major commission in the area was for 1701 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, a 13-story building with a facade of gold-anodized aluminum and white marble. But the United States Commission of Fine Arts, which had design approval authority over private buildings next to federal buildings in the city, objected to this facade.Eisen, Jack. "Glassy Building Gives Arts Board a Pane." The Washington Post. April 21, 1960. Koubek submitted a revised design that used larger, octagonal window designs of marble with recessed ribs of bronze aluminum; this was acceptedHailey, Albon B. "New Olmsted Building Plans Approved." The Washington Post. May 19, 1960. and highly praised by influential architect Frederick Gutheim as pushing District architectural design "forward 10 years."Gutheim, Frederick. "Gutheim Declares Revised Design Puts District Forward 10 Years." The Washington Post. May 19, 1960. A similar design was created for the facade of One Farragut Square South, which began construction in November 1960."12-Story Building for District." The Washington Post. November 12, 1960. A more Modernist glass-wall building was planned in October 1961 for 1666 Connecticut Avenue NW (the southwest corner of Connecticut Avenue NW and R Street NW).Willmann, John B. "Multi-Million Program Of Building Set in '61." The Washington Post. December 23, 1960; "Building Planned." The Washington Post. October 7, 1961.
Rosslyn Koubek was instrumental in helping to redevelop Rosslyn, Virginia, an unincorporated area of Arlington County directly across the Potomac River from the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. In 1960, Rosslyn was a seedy area of bars, pawnshops, small industry, and used car lots.Carrier, 1999, p. 24. But land values in Rosslyn had risen,Andelson, 2000, p. 161. and to take advantage of the building boom they believed was coming, Arlington County county planners required site plans that emphasized tall, free-standing buildings. In 1961, Koubek drafted a site plan for the site around the proposed Ames Center (an area that represented about half the total acreage in the Rosslyn area).Willmann, John B. "Rosslyn's Rebirth As 'Hottest Area' Attracts Builders." The Washington Post. October 20, 1962. Koubek also was the architect for the Ames Center itself, a complex which included a 13-story office building, bank, church, and civic auditorium located at 1820 N. Fort Myer Drive."Rosslyn Is Selected as Site For Large Methodist Church." The Washington Post. March 17, 1962.
The construction of the Ames Center and approval of a site plan for the area around it led to the wholesale economic and architectural redevelopment of Rosslyn,Donahue, William T. "SP #1 Minor Site Plan Amendment Request for a Comprehensive Sign Plan." County Board of Arlington, Virginia. September 16, 1999. Koubek also developed the site plan for the area bounded by Wilson Boulevard, North Arlington Ridge Road, 19th Street North, and North Kent Street. This included the London House and Normandy House apartment complexes. Although it also proposed constructing two apartment complexes in the center of the area, three office buildings were built. London House opened in January 1965."Luxury on the River." The Washington Post. January 16, 1965.
Other works in the 1960s Numerous commissions came his way throughout the 1960s. His Jefferson Building (1225 19th Street NW), built in 1963, was an eight-story glass-and-marble clad structure that was the first skyscraper in the city to feature a columnless interior."Jefferson Building Under Way." The Washington Post. January 12, 1963. It became home to the upscale The Palm steak restaurant in December 1972,Dresden, Donald. "The Palm: A Capital Copy of a New York Favorite." The Washington Post. January 14, 1973. although building's exterior reflecting pool and numerous fountains were replaced by a mundane garden and short trees. Later that year, he designed a sister building across the street (1234 19th Street NW) which incorporated solarized glass windows, dark bronze panels, and dark brown aluminum ribbing."MBG Plans 8-Story Building." The Washington Post. March 16, 1963. He was the chief architect of the World Building (8121 Georgia Avenue) in Silver Spring, Maryland,"Five Buildings Planned." The Washington Post. March 30, 1963. The World Building helped revitalize the long-blighted Silver Spring downtown business district,Willmann, John B. "High-Rising Office Expected to Revive Silver Spring Section." The Washington Post. April 13, 1963. and became home to long-time home of top-rated radio stations WWRC and WGAY. One of Koubek's less notable efforts, however, was the 1963 five-story Del Ray Building (4905 Del Ray Avenue) in Bethesda, Maryland,"Nearing Completion." The Washington Post. May 11, 1963. a nondescript office building with a penthouse clad in grey brick. In 1964, Koubek received his first commission from outside the District of Columbia and its immediate suburbs. This was Horizon House (1101 N. Calvert Street) in Baltimore, Maryland, an 18-story apartment building with a rooftop pool and ground-floor retail area in the historic Mount Vernon neighborhood."Under Way." The Washington Post. May 2, 1964.
In March 1963, he created a design for 1050 31st Street NW, a spare, Federalist-style red brick building—the first such non-Modernist structure he designed."New Georgetown Building." The Washington Post. March 31, 1963. He had initially proposed in 1961 a building with an all-glass first floor and exposed stone upper floors, but the Commission of Fine Arts rejected his design as too modern.Schuette, Paul A. "Building Plan Becomes Career." The Washington Post. June 21, 1962. After redesigning his building along Federalist lines, the Commission approved the design. However, the D.C. zoning board refused to approve it because of the changes. The zoning board also was unhappy with the way Koubek intended to conceal the elevator and air conditioning equipment on the roof. After redesigning the rooftop, the building began construction in March 1963. The first major office building to be constructed on the Georgetown waterfront in 50 years,"New Georgetown Building." The Washington Post. October 19, 1963.