(b Brunn, Moravia [now Brno, Czech Republic], 28 Feb 1901; d Znojmo, 30 May 1968). Czech architect and painter. He studied architecture at the Technical University, Brno, under Emil Králík and later worked in the studios of Jirí Kroha and Bohuslav Fuchs. A member of the Architects’ Club and the Union of Socialist Architects, Kranz belonged to the architectural avant-garde in Czechoslovakia in the 1920s and 1930s. He came to prominence with his first building, the Café Era (1927–9), Brno, which is notable for the lyrical atmosphere of its interior, designed with concern for human scale and comfort. The façade forms a smooth, non-articulated plane, its large windows contrasting with small ventilation shutters; the whole façade has an extraordinarily two-dimensional appearance reminiscent of Mondrian’s paintings. Influenced by Hans Scharoun, Kranz then moved towards an aerodynamic, functionalist style, seen in the Avia Cinema (1928–9) and the Slavík House (1930–31), both in Brno. His own family house (1933) in Brno, very modest in size, reveals skilful planning of the living space, with many unexpected views. In the early 1930s he specialized in designs for telecommunication and post office buildings, for example the Telecommunications Centre (1945–68) at Královo Pole, Brno. Kranz was also an accomplished painter and graphic artist; his work in this area was inspired by the Surrealist painter, Josef Síma.

• Kranz, Josef
  • Modern Movement, §4: Towards an international style, 1926–32