House of the Black Madonna facts for kids
Quick facts for kids House of the Black Madonna |
|
|---|---|
|
Dům U černé Matky Boží
|
|
 |
|
| General information | |
| Architectural style | cubist |
| Location | Old Town, Prague |
| Address | Celetná 569/34, 11000, Prague 1 |
| Country | Czech Republic |
| Coordinates | 50°5′13.39″N 14°25′30.99″E / 50.0870528°N 14.4252750°E |
| Completed | 1912 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Josef Gočár |
The House of the Black Madonna (which in Czech is called Dům U Černé Matky Boží) is a very special building in Prague, the capital city of the Czech Republic. It's famous for its unique Cubist style, which is a type of art and architecture.
A famous architect named Josef Gočár designed this building. It was finished in 1912. Today, you can find a cozy café on the first floor. The top four floors are home to the Museum of Czech Cubism.
The building gets its name from an old sculpture. This sculpture shows a Black Madonna and was part of an older building on the same spot. The House of the Black Madonna is the very first example of Cubist architecture ever built in Prague. After many years of changes and some damage, the building was fully fixed up in 2003.
History of the Building
The architect Josef Gočár designed this house in the middle of 1911. He was only 31 years old at the time. He designed it for a businessman named František Josef Herbst. Mr. Herbst wanted a new department store. He chose Gočár because the architect had successfully built another modern store in a town called Jaroměř.
Taking down the old baroque building on the site was a big debate. Gočár's first plans for a modern building were not liked by the people who protected historical sites. The building was in a very important part of the city. This meant Gočár's design had to fit in with the old buildings around it. So, Gočár used shapes and ideas from baroque style in his new Cubist design. The Prague City Council finally said yes to his plans in August 1911.
Gočár used a special building method for the House of the Black Madonna. He built it with a strong frame made of reinforced concrete. This idea came from the Chicago School of architecture. Using this concrete frame allowed for very large open spaces inside. This was perfect for the Cubist style. The café on the first floor, which had no pillars inside, was a great engineering achievement for its time.
Mr. Herbst's department store and a café were on the first two floors. Apartments were located on the floors above. In 1922, the department store closed. The first two floors were then changed into bank offices. More changes happened in 1941. A new architect replaced the wooden window frames with steel ones. During the time when the communists ruled, the building was divided into even more office spaces.
In 1994, the building was completely fixed up. It became a place for Czech art and culture. After more repair work between 2002 and 2003, the building became home to the Museum of Czech Cubism. This museum is run by the Prague Museum of Decorative Arts. The second and third floors have a permanent display of Cubist art. The top floors are used for special shows and workshops.
When they fixed up the café, they used old black-and-white photos from 1912. These photos showed what the café looked like inside. They made new copies of the café furniture and brass lights. This helped bring the café back to life. It now lets visitors experience Czech Cubism while enjoying a drink or snack.
Images for kids
-
The House of the Black Madonna in Prague.
-
The old baroque House of the Black Madonna, which was taken down in 1911.
-
The statue of the Black Madonna, put back in place in 2000.
-
The Grand Café Orient restaurant on the first floor.
See also
In Spanish: Casa de la Madona Negra para niños
