Where to Find Cubist Architecture in Prague
by Paige Walker & Danielle Bodnar
The Cubist movement was one of the major avant-garde movements that swept Europe in the beginning of the 20th century. Introduced to a startled public around 1906 by Pablo Picasso in Paris and Georges Braque in Barcelona, cubism gained popularity among young artists and architects as it signaled a striking new aesthetic and abrupt departure from the ornate Art Nouveau style.
Cubism in architecture focuses on concepts such as abstraction, geometrization, symbolism, distortion, and illusion to create buildings that use mostly diagonal lines and celebrate geometric architectural structure in the facade, jettisoning figurative and ornamental decoration of older styles. Developing in the Czech Republic, Cubism took on a particularly Czech character and remains a unique movement that defined not just an aesthetic but also a nation.
Origins of Cubism
At the turn of the 20th century, the city of Prague began discarding the old in favor of the new: many buildings were demolished and remade in the Neo-Renaissance, Neo-Baroque, and Art Nouveau styles. Coming in at the heels of the Czech National Revival, where the Czech language was brought back from the brink of irrelevance, new ideas for creating a distinct national identity were gaining traction among artists and thinkers of all stripes, including architects.
An essential part of this development included distinguishing Czech from Austrian identity. Many members of Prague’s avant garde and intelligentsia saw Austria-Hungary as a declining Empire well before the outbreak of the First World War, the Austrians’ approach to politics and culture too conservative and resistant to change for the new century. They looked to France, where the art nouveau and the Cubist movements originated. France also happened to be the only democratic nation in Europe at the time, so along with the aesthetic experimentation came a political edge. Czech visionaries wanted to experiment with new styles to find the exit doors from the stuffy Habsburg monarchy and establish an independent, republican state.
Czech artists first brought Cubism to the Czech lands, taking inspiration from their experiences with the style in Paris. As a hotbed of artistic activity, Paris attracted ambitious artists from all over Europe, and several Czech artists such as Josef Čapek and Antonin Procházka further experimented with the emerging Cubist style. Čapek developed a more personal, expressive approach, compared to the more analytical style of French Cubism. This approach merged abstraction with poetic imagination, imbuing his work with a humanistic quality reminiscent of folk art. Procházka infused his paintings with emotional Expressionist elements as well as Cubist ones. But the Czechs were to move well beyond their Parisian cubist inspiration, becoming the only nation to transfer cubism to buildings!
Czech architects saw something new and exciting that they could bring into the design of the built environment. The angular, prismatic structures signaled a definitive departure from the ornate, organic styles of art nouveau and the imperial styles such as Neoclassical. The fractured style of Cubism more accurately reflected the modern world, and its novelty made it ripe for aesthetic adoption by an new nation, a city aspiring to distinguish itself as a reborn capital.
Founders of Prague Cubism
There were four main founders of Czech Cubist architecture: Pavel Janák (1882-1956), Josef Gočár (1880-1945), Vastislav Hofman (1884-1964), and Josef Chochol (1880-1956). Each of these innovative architects have left an indelible mark on Prague and the enduring vision of the First Republic.
Pavel Janák was the visionary thinker of Cubist architecture. Born in Prague, Janák pursued the study of architecture under Josef Zítek and Josef Schluz, who had a more historicist view of architecture. He moved to Vienna to finish his studies, where he worked under Otto Wagner and Jan Kotera, who introduced him to the modernist approach. Janák came to believe that the Neoclassical, Neo-Gothic, and Neo-Baroque styles were outdated relics of the declining Austrian Empire, and it was time to pursue a whole new style of architecture to distinguish Czech identity from the Austrian. Geometric shapes such as prisms seemed to Janak more reflective of modern sensibilities than recycled designs from the past.
Early in his career Janak sought to transform the beauty of Cubism into furniture, and in 1907 founded the Prague Art Workshops, which focused on designing Cubist furniture and home decor. The iconic designs that came out of Prague Art Workshops, especially the Cubist vases, are among Janak’s most enduring works. He published many designs with accompanying articles that laid the foundation for Prague Cubism, but unfortunately many of his ideas went unrealized. His views of architecture always evolving, Janak pursued Rondocubism in the 1910s before moving on to functionalism in his later years.
Josef Gočár realized many of Pavel Janák’s ideas, translating the theory and design into practice. One of these projects, the House of the Black Madonna, remains a cornerstone exemplar of Cubism. Shifting to Rondocubism in the 1920s, Gočár continued to develop designs that showcased a particularly Czech identity, taking inspiration from Slavic folklore. Gočár is behind many of Prague’s most distinguished Cubist and Rondocubist buildings, proving his talent and vision during a time of national transition.
His designs made an especially big splash in France, winning a grand prize for his Czech pavilion design at the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et industriels modernes in Paris, and receiving awarded the Ordre de la Legion d’honneur in 1926. Though his design sensibility moved on with the times to functionalism, Gočár influenced an entire generation of successors in Czech architecture.
Vlastislav Hofman was a key figure in Czech Cubist architecture and design, known for his innovative approach to form and ornamentation. He embraced Cubism beyond architecture, bringing Cubist ideas into furniture, graphic design, and stage sets. His versatility earned him the title “the DaVinci of the Avant Garde.” Hofman composed dynamic, angular designs and sculptural facades, as seen in his designs for Prague’s Ďáblický cemetery, which feature bold, faceted surfaces that break away from traditional symmetry.
Hofman later took part in the Rondocubist movement, incorporating curved lines and nationalistic decorative elements. His versatility and theoretical writings helped shape the evolution of Czech modernist architecture into Rondocubism and beyond.
Josef Chochol was one of the most prolific Czech Cubist architects, designing some of the movement’s most striking buildings in Prague. His sharp geometric forms and prismatic facades helped define Cubism as a movement totally distinct from older forms of architecture. Notable works include the Kovařovic Villa (1912–1913) in Vyšehrad, which exemplifies the Cubist emphasis on crystalline structures and angular rhythms. Unlike some of his peers, Chochol transitioned more fully into Rondocubism in the 1920s, embracing softer curves and decorative folk-inspired elements while maintaining the movement’s modernist ethos. His ability to evolve stylistically ensured his lasting impact on Czech architecture, bridging the radical experimentation of Cubism with the emerging national identity expressed in Rondocubism.
For examples of Czech Cubism in the decorative arts and interior design, visit the Cubist Museum, housed in the House of the Black Madonna – itself a prime example of the Czech Cubist movement. Featuring works by all the pioneers of Czech Cubist painting and architecture, the Czech Cubist museum is the place to see Czech Cubism in all its forms. Make sure to take the stairs to the stop to see the light-bulb stairwell design by architect Josef Gočar.
Cubist Architecture in Prague
House of the Black Madonna
Also known as “House of the Golden Grille,” the House of the Black Madonna is the most notable Cubist structure in Prague. Commissioned by František Josef Herbst and designed by Josef Gočar, the building is named after the little statue of the Black Virgin Mary behind a golden grille showcased on the corner of the building, the remaining relic of a Baroque house that had formerly been located on that spot. Construction started in 1911, much to the criticism of some of the conservative members of the Prague City Council. Josef Gočar designed the building to be pentagonal at the ground level and divided into an angular façade with simple cornices between the floors and the balcony. The basement of the building was originally a wine bar with ground level shopping and the only Cubist café in the world on the floor above. The remaining floors were used as offices and studio spaces.
Today, a Cubist café still occupies the second floor, with a restaurant on the ground floor. The upper floors now house a museum for Czech Cubism as part of the Museum of Decorative Arts.
Want to learn more about Cubist architecture during your visit to Prague? Our Art Nouveau and Cubist Architecture tour starts here, at the House of the Black Madonna. Named one of the top architecture tours by the Guardian and the Week, our tour explores the origins of the Art Nouveau and Cubist movements in the Czech Republic, and how greater political and aesthetic movements throughout Europe influenced the distinct Czech styles that developed in Prague. We’ll visit some of the best examples of Cubist architecture in Prague’s center, including the Streetlamp and the Legiobanka. Contact us and we’ll set you up with your expert guide today!
The Streetlamp by Adam’s Pharmacy
Adam’s Pharmacy was built in Wenceslas Square between 1912 and 1913, combining Late Art Nouveau and Cubism styles. Prague builder Matej Blecha hired Emil Králíček (1877-1930) to construct the streetlamp by the pharmacy. Králíček was known for his Art Nouveau facades, but became fascinated by geometry and modernism after reading Janák’s article “The Prism and the Pyramid” in Art Monthly, which served as inspiration for his Cubist endeavors.
Less radical than his peers, Králíček was only interested in designing objects, such as the streetlamp and stone vases outside the pharmacy. The streetlamp is created from truncated cones placed on top of each other and decorated with alternating grooved and smooth triangles. Cubist angles can also be seen in the iron and glass work.
The Diamond House
The Diamond House is the result of a time-shifted collaboration between architects. Originally designed by Austrian architect Friedrich Ohmann in the Late-Historicist style, the project was suspended in 1912 due to a lack of funding and the building ended up being redesigned by Emil Králíček in the Art Nouveau and Cubist styles thanks to its new owner Adolf Hoffmeister. In 1913, the Society for the Protection of Old Prague criticized the redesign, calling it too modern for an area previously characterized by Baroque designs. By the time the war was over, though, emotions had subsided. The name “Diamond” refers to the stone façade’s crystalline shapes in the vases, windows, and bays. Cubist figures by Antonín Waigant (1880-1918), who was mostly an interior architect but made sculptures for friends also feature in the facade. You can also see the Cubist design in the staircase railings, windows, and glass lamps.
Teachers’ Houses at Old Town
These lower-key monuments to Cubism are tucked away on side streets in Old Town, often referred to as the last great examples of Cubism in Prague. Dubbed “Teachers’ Houses” due to the project being funded by the Cooperative for the Construction of Teachers’ Houses, these buildings were designed by Otakar Novotný, a student of Jan Kotěra. Novotný is known more for his Functionalist projects, such as the SVU Manes building, but this early project shows how Cubism influenced his particular design taste and skill. The building on Bílkova street consists of two houses with a terrace and one corner house, with sharp-angled attics topping the gables. Dynamic facades with distinctly Cubist accents displaying an unusual dual-color scheme make the buildings stand out.
Kovařovic Villa
Below Vyšehrad Fortress, on the Vltava River embankment, stands the Kovařovic Villa, designed by Josef Chochol and constructed in 1913. Situated near examples of other architectural movements, this villa remains a distinguished example of Cubist architecture, with angular accents of triangles and half-hexagons.
Cubist triplets
Named so as they’re side by side and the brainchildren of Josef Chochol, the Cubist triplets have varying color schemes but all boast the Cubist elements of sharp triangular and half-hexagonal shapes, rather than the usual rectilinear architectural structure. These buildings, located just down the road from Kovařovic Villa on the Vltava embankment, also boast early 20th century reliefs depicting Czech legends, reflecting the growing Nationalist sentiment at the time.
Rondocubist Architecture in Prague
After the Great War, Prague became the capital of a newly independent Czech nation, calling for a further evolution of the Czech Cubist style into an even more distinct, and uniquely Czech, aesthetic. Thus, as the Czechoslovak Republic rose out of the ruined Austrian Empire, so Rondocubism developed to define it.
The Czechoslovak Legion Bank
In the Fall of 1919, the Czechoslovak Army commanders collectively decided to establish a financial and economic center for the Czech legionnaires from France, Russia, and Italy where they would be able to safely deposit leftover salary and money from food rations. The bank quickly grew from its first location in the Štefanik barracks, then U Saského dvora hotel, until finally in 1921 the construction project started for a new building on land left over from a demolished brewery. The winning design was submitted by Josef Gočar, who was happy to have the chance to make his mark on the pioneering style in such a monumental building.
Gočar, like many architects of the time, was in search of a Czech version of the Cubist style that incorporated softer lines and rounded edges. This style has been given many names: Rondocubism, Curve Cubism, Legiobanka style, and so on. Gočar used a symbolic color scheme of white and red-brown marble to construct the bank into a five story building with a hulking mansard, contrasting with the narrow nature of the façade.
The exterior has a large cornice above a tripartite gated main entrance with semi-columns, roundels, and arched cornices above the windows. Some have said that the construction of the façade is reminiscent of children’s building blocks. The sculptural adornment resembles the antique Roman triumphal arches, which likely satisfied the taste of the legionnaires. Otto Gutfreund made the sandstone reliefs that show the success and homecoming of the Czech legionnaires fighting for Czechoslovak independence on the second story, while Jan Štursa created the four sculptures of legionnaires with the names of the battlefields on the Austrian, French and Italian fronts on the main entrance.
The interior continues the exterior themes with cylindrical, circular, and semi circular motifs. Otto Wagner, František Kysela, and Josef Gočár all designed the interior glass, steel, painted walls, lighting, elevator grille, and doorknobs to create a stunning bank hall. This building has become the model for Rondocubism as it soon outlived itself when the movement faded after 1925.
Adria Palace
This prime example of Rondocubist style has a bit of Italian flair. Italian insurance company Riunione Adriatica di Sicurtà chose its news quarters to be built where the Thun-Hohenstein Palace previously stood and hired architect Josef Zasch. Pavel Janák later joined the project, including exemplary Rondocubist designs such as arched and triangular cornices and facade columns with stylized flowers. Sculptures depicting Trieste and Prague, created by sculptor Karel Dvořák, signify the friendly relationship between the two cities. The interior passage features a clock adorned with figures created by Bohumil Kafka. Inside the building, the Adria Café retains some Rondocubist accents, such as stylized fleur-de-lis.
Radiopalace
This Rondocubist behemoth spans three streets at the edge of Prague 1: Vinohradská, Sázavská, and Blanická. The typical Czech arches may appear to blend in with the surrounding buildings, but a closer look reveals the distinct Rondocubist pattern. The peachy exterior also makes it bright and downright cheerful compared to its somber, darker-toned neighbors. Designer Alois Dryák is known for his experimentation with varying styles throughout his career, such as the Art Nouveau Hotel Meran on Wenceslas Square, and the original design of Strahov Stadium, and this Rondocubist Radiopalace, built in the 1920s, stands as a testament to his versatility.
U Myšáka House
Originally built as a Neo-Renaissance structure in 1883, the building now known as U Myšáka House transformed into its current Rondocubist form during the First Republic. Owner František Myšák, whose namesake confectionary continues operation in this building to this day, commissioned a renovation. While Josef Čapek gets the most credit for the building’s Rondocubist transformation, Josef Gočár likely had an influence. The dual-toned facade of red and yellow, along with the stunning geometric accents, show off the softer shapes and colors of Rondocubism.
Curious to learn more about Cubist and Rondocubist architecture on your visit to Prague? Insight Cities has a cadre of expert guides who can take you on a journey through Prague’s unique Art Nouveau, Cubist and Rondocubist architecture. Contact us and we’ll set you up with the perfect tour of the dazzling early 20th-century constructions that transformed Prague.