Have you ever wondered what lies behind the walls of Tyršův dům? Do you want to see Nádraží Praha-Bubny from a different angle? Are you up for an adventure in the middle of the city you thought you knew? Then Prague Open House festival is for you!

Open House Prague festival will open the gates of 80 buildings. During the weekend of May 18–19, 2019, people will be able to see architecturally valuable spaces of historic palaces and representative villas, feast their eyes on office spaces designed in a modern style, or enjoy unforgettable views over the city offered by the rooftops of high buildings, all for free.

The aim of the festival is to give the lay public some insight into the different historical eras of Prague’s architecture. “Exploring buildings, their architecture, and stories, is the first step for us to evoke people’s interest in the city and its public space,” says Andrea Šenkyříková, director of the festival. The event is being held with the help of over 300 volunteers.

Regular and new participating buildings

Aside from buildings that have participated in the past and have become very popular among visitors (e.g. Invalidovna, Hotel International, or the Central Telecommunication Building), 38 buildings will be opened for the very first time.

Visitors will be able to look inside the representative spaces of the state-owned Hrzán Palace and the Liechtenstein Palace, as well as the Trauttmannsdorf Palace in Hradčany, which, up until the beginning of the 20th century, served as a prison, and is now in the final stage of reconstruction for purposes of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic.

The program also includes buildings designed by leading Czech architects – the Štenc House by Otakar Novotný in the Old Town, the House of Agricultural Education by Josef Gočár near Náměstí Míru, or the Laichter House by Jan Kotěra in Vinohrady. People can also visit the usually inaccessible spaces of some significant cultural premises – the medieval cellars in the House at the Stone Bell, the tower and the stables of the Troja Chateau, the roof and the technical space of the Trade Fair Palace of the Prague National Gallery, or the recently reconstructed technical monument of the Water Tower in Letná. 

Open House is a member of the Worldwide network, which holds the biggest architectural event in 42 cities and welcoming around 750,000 visitors from all over every year. Apart from the festival, they organize year-round programs for the general public including people with disabilities, as well as fun educational activities for teens and young children.

For more info, check the official website

Author: red