Architecture post-1989

They collect prestigious architectural awards and are popular with both experts and the public. They are in harmony with their environment, be this nature, urban districts or historical town centres. And mainly: their value grows every year. While many of these buildings were received with embarrassment at the time of their creation, they are now being talked about in superlatives.

A symbol of modern architecture

One building that, for better or worse, has made Prague famous far beyond the border of the Czech Republic is the Dancing House, which was built on Rašínovo nábřeží according to a design by the Croatian-born Czech architect Vlado Milunić, who in his design collaborated with the renowned Canadian-American designer Frank O. Gehry. During the Dancing House’s construction in 1992-96, some people praised its original design, while others expressed the view that it did not belong in the historical city centre. The Dancing House, inspired by dance partners Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire, has become a popular tourist attraction, received a number of awards, was ranked one of the five most significant Czech buildings of the 1990s in a survey by Architekt magazine and outside the Czech Republic is considered the best-known example of post-1989 modern Czech architecture.

Other places of interest

Which buildings are must-sees? In Prague you can, for example, have a look round the Zlatý Anděl shopping centre in Smíchov, the National Library of Technology in Dejvice or stay in a designer hotel, such as the luxury Hotel Josef, designed by Eva Jiřičná, and outside Prague you can visit Hotel Omnia in Janské Lázně and Hotel Miura in the golf complex in Čeladná. Eva Jiřičná was also responsible for the Congress and University Centre in Zlín. Another unmissable building is the Uffo cultural centre in Trutnov, surrounded by a pack of predators – seven bronze statues by Michal Gabriel.