Discover: Prague’s gems from the First Republic era

Prague still harbours elegant traces of the First Republic era – from Functionalist villas and commercial palaces to famous cafés, cinemas, shopping arcades and modern residential districts. Set out to explore architecture that combines refinement, the self-confidence of a young nation and timeless design. Discover the places where the history of interwar Prague took shape and where the atmosphere of the First Republic lives on to this day.

Prague’s architectural gems

One of the iconic buildings of the First Republic is the Müller Villa. It was commissioned between 1928 and 1930 by the prominent building contractor Dr Ing. František Müller, and today this building is regarded as a gem of world modernist architecture. The design was drawn up by the famous architect and theorist Adolf Loos in collaboration with Karel Lhota. Here, Adolf Loos created his magnum opus, in which he realised the spatial concept known as the Raumplan. The villa is managed by the City of Prague Museum. Please note: The monument is currently closed for renovation.

In Smíchov, you will find the Winternitz Villa, also designed by Adolf Loos, which he completed in 1932. The villa was commissioned by the lawyer Josef Winternitz, who, however, did not enjoy living in this charming house for long. During the Second World War, he perished in a concentration camp along with other members of his family. The Winternitz Villa also features typical elements of Loos’s architecture, in particular the unusual layout of the interior spaces (known as the ‘Raumplan’), functional built-in furnitureand carefully selected interior cladding materials. The villa is open to the public, and you can visit it during weekend guided tours or enjoy the rich cultural programme held there. You can also stay at the villa or hire it for a wedding or to organise a private party.

The 1930 family villa of Otto Rothmayer, the architect who helped with the reconstruction of Prague Castle and Lány Castle for President Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, is also very beautiful. The villa’s simple appearance is characterised by the basic shapes of a cuboid and a cylinder, within which a spiral staircase is situated. Although the villa’s interiors are not spacious, their connection to the veranda and the stunning garden, designed by the architect, is key. The exhibition in the villa highlights the distinctive style of the architectural works of Josip Plečnik and Otto Rothmayer, their realisation, and the life of the Rothmayer family. The house is managed by the City of Prague Museum.

The well-known and the lesser-known Jože Plečnik

Otto Rothmayer was a pupil, friend and colleague of the famous Slovenian architect Jože Plečnik. They collaborated, for example, on the Church of the Most Sacred Heart of Our Lord in Vinohrady (1928 to 1932), and Plečnik oversaw the restoration of three of the four courtyards at Prague Castle, the designs for the South Gardens, interior alterations and also the refurbishment of President Masaryk’s flat. The legacy of both architects is still visible on the grounds, and since 1989 most of their work has been sensitively restored, complemented by regular exhibitions. However, there are also some places here known only to specialists, such as Masaryk’s viewpoint with its vineyard on the northern edge of the Deer Moat, or Masaryk’s apiary in the Prague Castle Production Gardens.

The Vítkov Memorial and the view of Prague

Today, it is hard to imagine Vítkov Hill empty, without the monumental building of the National Memorial, which is famous for its equestrian statue of Jan Žižka. But even this building, dedicated to the Czechoslovak Legions, was only constructed during the First Republic, between 1928 and 1938. It is the life’s work of the architect Jan Zázvorka, a pupil of Jan Kotěra. It is not only the interiors – open all year round and featuring modern exhibitions on 20th-century history – that are of interest, but also the terrace with its café and panoramic views across the whole of Prague. A number of prominent artists contributed to the building’s decoration, including Jakub Obrovský, Karel Pokorný, Jaroslav Horejc, Otakar Španiel, Max Švabinský and others.

Gočár’s church in Vršovice and Janák’s in Vinohrady

The Church of St Wenceslas on Čechovo Square in Vršovice is renowned for its distinctive Constructivist style, but also for its complex construction, as it is the very first church in Bohemia to have been built using a reinforced concrete frame. It was built between 1929 and 1930 to a design by the architect Josef Gočár. The staircase, which spans the entire width of the church, leads to an open vestibule, from which the nave is accessed via a three-part main entrance. An interesting feature is the stepped profile of the church roof, which relates to the natural lighting of the nave: the intensity of the light symbolically increases towards the high altar. At the top of the tower, a tall yellow cross stands like a lighthouse; it is illuminated in the evening and at night.

The Hus Congregation in Vinohrady was built between 1930 and 1935 to a design by the architect Pavel Janák in the Constructivist style. This three-part building comprises a chapel, a towerand a residential block. In addition to regular church services, concerts, exhibitions and lectures are also held here. The complex also includes a columbarium, which was created by converting a theatre hall according to a design by architect Jiří Jakub in 1938.

The Čapek Brothers’ Villa

The unique Čapek Brothers’ Villa in Prague’s Vinohrady district is now gradually being transformed into a museum. It is owned by the Prague 10 municipal district, which is progressively restoring its original section dating from the 1930s. The villa was built between 1923 and 1924 to plans by architect Ladislav Machoň. The design envisaged two mirror-image, functionally identical flats, each with its own entrance and gate. Karel Čapek settled in the right-hand part of the building, whose façade faces south, whilst Josef Čapek and his family lived on the left, where part of the building faced north. The part of the building where Karel Čapek lived is currently undergoing gradual renovation. A museum is being created here, where you can see, for example, Karel Čapek’s library, his archive, the room where the ‘Pátečníci’ used to meet, and artefacts from the famous writer’s travels.

The Barrandov Terraces have undergone a transformation

The Barrandov Terraces, a well-knownleisure complex on the cliff above the Vltava, have also undergone major changes. Designed by architect Max Urban, the Barrandov Terraces opened to their first visitors in September 1929 and immediately captivated the people of Prague. Over the following decade, the terraces became a popular meeting place, particularly for actors from the nearby film studios. After 1948, however, the complex gradually fell into disrepair. In recent years, the original building has undergone extensive restoration, which was completed in keeping with the complex’s original appearance from the First Republic era. A modern residential complex, designed by the architectural studio Kuba & Pilař, has now been built on the site. Unfortunately, the terraces are no longer open to the public and now serve solely as a complex of flats for long-term rental.