Karel Kopp

Karel Kopp was a Czech architect and designer, focusing on interior design and decoration, who worked together with Ferdinand Balcárek on a number of projects. Both attended the Technical University in Praha, with Kopp attending from 1922-28. Initially, the stadium in Strahov was a wooden construction, but Alois Dryák won a competition to modernize the stadium with a classic design. Kopp and Balcárek were awarded second place. After Dryák´s death in 1932, the planning work was finally entrusted to Kopp and Balcárek, and the upgrade was completed between 1932-38, with the wooden structure converted to reinforced concrete and brick.

The plans they submitted to the 1932 Olympic Art Competition depicted the adjacent athletics stadium. It was built subsequent to the construction of the large stadium in 1931-35, according to the Dryák’s concept, by Balcárek and Kopp. Most interesting was the western tribune of reinforced concrete. From 1975-78, the stadium was rebuilt for the requirements of the European Athletics Championships.