In this special selection we have chosen buildings and premises that offer a wide range of architecture styles and types. You can visit not only historic buildings but also modern and recently designed ones in the very center of Prague. Our list includes buildings with English tours within walking distance, so let’s enjoy a nice tour!
Rooftop views
Designed in the 1950s, the House of Fashion was very far from socialist realism, the dominant style at the time, and after its opening, it instantly became a symbol of luxurious shopping. Enjoy the unique view from the roof where private fashion shows used to take place!
House of Children’s Books and Albatros Publishing House – Spaces Albatros coworking
It is probably safe to say that every Czech has had at least one children’s book published by Albatros. The publishing house, located on the corner of Národní, was reconstructed two years ago and turned into offices and coworking spaces with perfectly thought-out interior details and innovative ideas and sunny terraces with amazing views.
Representative palaces
This monumental palace in Hradčany is a true gem of Prague’s Baroque architecture. This is where the treaty of abolition of the Warsaw Pact was signed and where Jan Masaryk died under mysterious circumstances that still remain unexplained. Czernin Palace is now the seat of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic.
The luxurious bank palace was built by the prominent Bohemian Petschek family in the era of the First Czechoslovak Republic. During World War II the palace was seized from the family and served as a Gestapo seat and a place where Nazi opponents were interrogated and imprisoned. Today the palace is used for ceremonial occasions of the Ministry of Industry and Trade and boasts well-preserved interiors.
Hotels
Boutique Hotel Jalta with the Cold War Museum
The luxurious hotel was built in Wenceslas Square in the 1950s. Although designed in the Stalinist style, the hotel is one of the best buildings constructed in Communist Czechoslovakia. In the basement, there was a top-secret nuclear fallout shelter used by the State Security who spied on guests from the West with the use of wiretaps.
After its opening in 1967, the former Parkhotel Praha was considered one of the most prestigious hotels in Prague. It is now owned by the French hotel chain Mama Shelter. The interiors of the hotel were redesigned in a playful way by the famous French designer Philippe Starck.
Modern Czech architecture
One of the most significant buildings of modern architecture in Prague arose in Vinohrady in the beginning of the 20th century. The author of the building is the famous Czech architect Jan Kotěra, the anniversary of whose birth – 150 years – we are celebrating this year. Enjoy the tour through the well-preserved interiors and take a look at the hidden garden!
Cubist architecture
Although the era of Prague Cubism was a very short-lived one (1911–1924), it has left traces not only in the arts but also in architecture. An example of a Cubist house can be found near the Vltava river bank, and the villa is admired mainly because of its original geometrical exterior.
Architecture of the communist era
Palace of Culture – Congress Center Prague
Built in 1976, this gigantic neo-functionalist building was supposed to host meetings of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. Its glass and aluminum exterior hides opulent interiors made of marble, granite, and anodized pillars. It contains 70 halls of different sizes, the largest of which is one of the best in the world today when it comes to acoustics.
Sacral spaces
Church of St. Anna – Prague Crossroads
This formerly Gothic church houses an international spiritual center created by the former Czech president Václav Havel. It is a venue used for lectures, discussions, concerts, exhibitions, etc. You can visit the nave and the organ loft and see a unique piece of the only surviving Gothic roof truss in Prague.
Design interiors
ARA Palace – main office of HubHub coworking
A monumental functionalist palace built with the use of a steel frame, just like New York skyscrapers. It used to be a department store selling textiles, clothing, and other goods. Nowadays it is partly occupied by HubHub coworking.
Art and culture spaces
The unique garden hidden below the bridge in Nusle brings back the history of Karel Novák’s sculptural workspace operating here during the First Republic era. After its confiscation, it was destroyed and almost left forgotten. Only thanks to the persistent work of the current owner have many artistic works been saved and repaired and now form the base of today’s collection of Czech decorative art.
Zenger Transformer Station – Kunsthalle Praha
A new space for exhibitions of Czech and international art of the 20th and the 21st century is set to open in the former Zenger Transformer Station on February 22, 2022. The reconstruction of this neoclassical industrial palace is being finished right now. Be the first to take a look inside this new house of art and culture located on Malá Strana!
Sports
A giant, a famous yet terrifying building, and a cultural monument. A place where Adolf Hitler celebrated his birthday, where the Spartakiads – mass gymnastics events – took place, where the Rolling Stones performed, and where the pope himself celebrated Mass. The fate of the decaying stadium, which is considered to be one of the largest in the world, is very uncertain.
Comments are closed here.