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joseantonio | all galleries >> Galleries >> PRAGUE > Municipal House (Obecní dům)
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05-MAR-2017

Municipal House (Obecní dům)

This Art Nouveau building, built from 1905 to 1911, is proof of unprecedented artistic and craft skills and quality. The café, the French and the Pilsner restaurants, the American bar, the Lord Mayor’s Salon and the Smetana Hall are all examples of perfectly executed Art Nouveau interiors, decorated by leading artists and sculptors such as Alfons Mucha, Jan Preisler, Ladislav Šaloun, and others. Lovers of Art Nouveau can take a guided tour of the whole building. The Municipal House stands on a plot of about 14,000 square meters, the built-up area is 4,214 m2 and the total building volume is approximately 14,000 cubic meters. There are about 1,240 rooms in the building.Externally, the Municipal House is a historic relic of 19th century, the mixture of pseudo-renaissance and pseudo-Baroque, but generally it is considered an important example of Prague Art Nouveau. The whole building is a testament to the skills and unprecedented quality of art and craft; the building was also very modern in terms of the used state of-the-art technological facilities in Central Europe at that time unprecedented. There were 28 electrical and hydraulic lifts, air-conditioning system with remote control, pneumatic post, central vacuum cleaner, modern telephone exchange, ice factory, refrigerator and the most modern kitchen there. There was also one of the largest electro-pneumatic organ in the whole monarchy there. For the first time linoleum, then a cry of progress, as well as brass and other materials were used here in a great extent. All the known arts and crafts are represented in the interior; these products show a sense of beauty and utility: stained glass, clocks, wooden and ceramic tiles, natural and artificial marbles, free furniture sets, mirrors, drapery, heating and ventilation covers and namely lighting sets made of non-ferrous metals and glass (mostly designed by František Anýž and implemented by Křižík company).

Canon EOS 70D
1/4s f/5.0 at 12.0mm iso200 full exif

other sizes: small medium large original auto
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Eli Finkelstein11-Feb-2023 02:01
Wonderful building, wonderful photo, and great explanation! Thanks!
Julie Oldfield29-Apr-2017 13:50
Fantastic wide angle. V
barbarajoy25-Apr-2017 23:35
Beautiful building, expertly captured. V
Dennis Hoyne25-Apr-2017 02:35
What an interesting building, and thanks again for the background information!
Fletcher Wildlife Garden25-Apr-2017 00:53
Really interesting perspective in this terrific night shot. V
Jeff Real24-Apr-2017 23:05
You bring the viewer right into the scene ~V~
Don24-Apr-2017 22:33
Your image renders this building a stand-out.
Ken Chambers ARPS24-Apr-2017 21:10
Superb Art Nouveau building, Jose
laine24-Apr-2017 20:57
Another spectacular building, Jose
Jim Coffman24-Apr-2017 20:43
Great night shot, Jose!!
Dan Opdal24-Apr-2017 20:37
Sensational! V
Kuriacose Joseph24-Apr-2017 20:35
Impressive building and history. Nice shot with the lighting and the wide angle.
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