DVORAK, Otakar Of Prague, Czech Republic, formerly of Belmont and Watertown, passed away August 16 in the Czech Republic. He is survived by his wife Maya Lukas of Prague, CZ; son Daniel Dvorak of Watertown, MA; son Patrik Dvorak of Prague, CZ; and granddaughters, Aneta and Albeta Dvorak, of Prague, CZ. Otakar had a long and distinguished career as an architect and will be remembered with great respect by many colleagues and friends. After graduating from the gymnasium in Beneov, Otakar studied at Czech Technical University â€" Faculty of Architecture in Prague. After graduating, he began practicing as an architect in Czechoslovakia. Living in an East bloc country in the 1950s and 1960s, Otakar was determined to leave Czechoslovakia for the West. In April 1968, Otakar traveled to West Germany and started working in an architectural office in Duesseldorf, where in August 1968 he witnessed the Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia. In January 1969, he achieved his goal of immigrating to the United States, where he settled in Massachusetts. In Boston, he worked in several highly renowned architectural offices including the office of Paul Rudolph and received a master's degree from Harvard Graduate School of Design in Cambridge. After graduate school, Otakar's career included teaching at Harvard GSD and, through Harvard, a yearlong stay in Saudi Arabia to participate in the establishment of King Abdulaziz University. Otakar's career in the United States culminated in a partnership in the prestigious Boston office of Steffian/Bradley, where he realized large-scale projects including the River Court condominium complex in East Cambridge, multi-story apartments in Springfield, senior apartments at Lasell University, and many others. After the Velvet Revolution and a short interlude in Moscow, where he experienced the failed coup in August 1991, Otakar returned to Prague, and soon found his rich experience in a wide range of fields and across cultures to be invaluable in his practice in the newly open Czech Republic. Among his many projects completed during his return to Prague were office building Praha City Center near in Prague 1, multifunctional complex Flora Palace, the Business Park in Chodov, and the administrative building in Prague 7. He was also the conceptual designer of two of the most exclusive Prague hotels in the center of the old city: Four Seasons and Mandarin Oriental. His sensitive treatment of existing old buildings, combining them with new functionality has gained him the respect of the Office of the Chief Architect of Prague and a longtime membership on the Prague advisory board for monument preservation. Since 2015, Otakar also acted as the chairman of the jury at the INSPIRELI Competition, an annual global architectural competition which currently involves 150 countries and architects from around the world. Throughout his career, Otakar acted as mentor and teacher to many young architects who will remember him for his attention and expertise. In his work, Otakar preferred traditional methods â€" pencil and watercolor â€" over new digital technology, feeling it was a more natural manifestation of architecture. He also tended to think long and patiently about tasks. He adhered to the principle that architecture is not a job, but a state of mind. "Breaking records," he said, "leads to sensationalism and, in architecture, to superficiality. As if you get used to loud music, and then it has to get louder and louder for you to perceive it at all." In addition to his career in architecture, Otakar will be remembered as a great lover of music, art, and travel, as a true friend, and a respected colleague. Donations in Otakar's memory may be made to the
charity of your choice.
View the online memorial for Otakar DVORAKPublished by Boston Globe from Sep. 7 to Sep. 11, 2022.
