Discover the jewels of modern Czech architecture

Prague: The Dancing House with the head of Franz Kafka

If you’re in Prague, you really shouldn’t miss a visit to DOX and the Kunsthalle, two of the most famous contemporary art exhibition spaces, set up in former industrial buildings. At DOX, you can also board the Gulliver airship, an architectural gem in itself!

Another major attraction is the iconic Dancing House, the winner of a prestigious award from the U.S. Time magazine. If you’re out on a stroll around the Vltava River and find yourself on the Náplavka – Rašínovo embankment, you’ll come across “dungeons”, rooms with unique huge round glass doors, containing cosy cafés, clubs and galleries.

There are then another two buildings by the National Theatre – the DRN and the Quadrio. The DRN is an extraordinary new 21st-century palace building, which accentuates greenery, the quality of its public space and its original interior design. And peeking out behind the Quadrio shopping centre, you’ll see a giant rotating head of Franz Kafka, by artist David Černý. Snapped a selfie with Kafka for your on-line album yet?

And the golden cherry on the cake to your walk around the Czech capital. This autumn sees the opening of the Masaryčka - a brand new building designed by world-famous architect Zaha Hadid! This breathtaking building with its golden façade, located near the historical Masaryk Station, is to become not only a shopping mall, but most of all a centre of fine cuisine.

Ostrava: A gas holder ranked as one of the TOP 10 buildings in the world, and a gallery in a former slaughterhouse

To see some highly successful conversions of former industrial plants, visit Ostrava, or to be more precise, Dolní Vítkovice. There, you’ll find the remarkable Bolt Tower, which has a viewpoint and a café, which “floats” above the former blast furnace.

Not far from that you’ll find the cylindrical multi-purpose Gong Hall, housed in a converted gas holder. At the prestigious Expo Real trade fair in Munich, the Gong was ranked one of the world’s TOP 10 buildings! Concerts are held here, and the site is one of the Czechia’s most attractive congress venues.

And for a change of scene, the nearby Small World of Technology, set up in a former factory hall offers plenty of entertainment for children and adults alike, giving them an insight into the secrets of technology.
Modern art buffs should check out the Plato Gallery in Ostrava, housed in a former slaughterhouse. Its conversion has resulted a stunning blend of raw architecture and art, and has won many international awards.


 

Pavlov: Through concrete labyrinths deep into the past 

Some other of Czechia’s architectural gems also form a unique backdrop for valuable museum collections. You can see for yourself at the Pavlov Archaeological Park in South Moravia. Its underground concrete labyrinths, which feel like cave passages, coupled with whitish monuments rising up from the ground and casting light into the surrounding darkness offer a fascinating insight into the extinct world of the mammoth hunters who lived here thousands of years ago. You’d be hard pressed to find a more stylish fusion of the ancient and the modern world.

Pardubice: Cubism that even Picasso himself would envy

Pardubice prides itself on its unique Cubist Automatic Mills building, which houses the Gočár Gallery, a tribute to the  prominent Czech Cubist architect. The interior of the building has been given a new minimalist refit and has even been nominated for the Czech Architecture Award 2023! Cubism is not often found in architecture, and nowhere else in the world will you see such a concentration of Cubist buildings as in Czechia. Make the most of the opportunity and visit some of Gočár’s other buildings – the House of the Black Madonna in Prague with the amazing Grand Café Orient or the rural Bauer Villa in Kolín near Prague.

Helfštýn and Kamenice: It pays off to break down stereotypes and let modernity speak for itself!

Czechia has a rich history, and boasts numerous majestic castles and charming châteaux. It takes an awful lot of courage to break the taboo of their architectural inviolability. However, the result is well worth it. 

One of the branches of the Amber Trail that runs through Europe from the Baltic to the Black Sea is still guarded to this day by Helfštýn Castle in Moravia, the stunning conversion of which won it the Czech Architecture Award. The symbiosis of mediaeval stone beauty with modern construction techniques using contemporary materials is sure to impress anyone, not only architecture connoisseurs. 

Another example is the modern extension of the neo-Gothic Kamenice Château, just a few kilometres outside Prague. The former residence of the famous Ringhoffer family, the founders of the largest wagon factory in Europe, was extended just a few years ago with the addition of a modern new building reminiscent of a historical orangery. The architects took on a challenging task with this project, and succeeded in creating a building that blends in tastefully with its surroundings and does not disrupt the cultural heritage site in any way. Come and see for yourself!

Helfštýn Castle, ceskacenazaarchitekturu.cz, ©BoysPlayNice

Ústí, Dolní Morava and Nový Bor: Steel giants and a glass house

A unique feat of technical engineering, the Mariánský Bridge over the Elbe River was ranked one of the 10 most beautiful buildings in Europe at the end of the 20th century.. It links the parts of the North Bohemian city of Ústí nad Labem.

On the opposite side of Czechia, a suspension bridge was opened a few years ago in the mountain resort of Dolní Morava, which was ranked first amongst similar bridges around the world. The unique Sky Bridge 721, together with the nearby Sky Walk, is one of the most frequently visited attractions in Czechia.

For another architectural treat, a house with a glass façade, take a trip to Nový Bor. It is home to the glassmaking company LASVIT, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of glass and crystal installations, which makes the trophies for the famous Tour de France and the US Open, and adorns the homes of such iconic figures as Rihanna and Justin Bieber.

Fine cuisine in a stylish setting? That’s no problem in Czechia!

How about a romantic dinner in Prague at the famous Ginger & Fred restaurant? On the 7th floor of the unmistakeable Dancing House with its stunning views of Prague Castle and Malá Strana it’ll taste twice as good!

Artist David Černý has set up several statues around Prague, but he’s also opened the Cyberdog restaurant, where you select from the menu using a tablet, your wine is poured by a robotic arm, and your order is brought to your table by an automated system. The future starts here!

A stunning architectural spectacle – the Miura Hotel in the Beskydy Mountains with its acclaimed hotel restaurant – is designed as a spaceship, one that is home to the family of Krychloids by David Černý. The hotel also showcases other top-class works by artists from Czechia and around the world, such as Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst and Petr Pastrňák.

And where to go for wine? To South Moravia, of course! The list of tips would be endless, but there are two we really should mention. The Znojmo Enotéka, which is located in the converted technical premises of a former brewery in the town centre with a self-service system for tasting  wine by the glass, and the Lahofer Winery near Znojmo, which has even featured in some prestigious architectural journals around the world.

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