The Municipal House is one of the most important Art Nouveau buildings in Prague. It is located on Republic Square, a short walk from the Powder Tower opposite the Hybernia Theatre. It is mainly used for representation purposes and cultural events, especially concerts and exhibitions.
The Municipal House stands on the site of a former royal residence called King's Court. This complex served as the seat of Wenceslas IV /14the century /, after him, his brother Sigismund of Luxembourg, Albert II of Germany, George of Poděbrady and Vladislaus II of Hungary lived here and Ladislaus the Posthumous died here. There is a bronze plate to commemorate his stay in the royal palace. The Municipal House is located at the beginning of the Royal Route. It was the starting point of coronation processions of Czech kings. The Church of St. Vojtěch, used as a seminary, was built in the area. In 1902–1903, all the buildings, including the church, were torn down. Building foundations began on 21 August 1905, the house was inaugurated on 16 December 1912.
On 6 January 1918, the so-called Three Kings Declaration calling for the creation of an independent Czechoslovak state was adopted here. The foundation of the Czech Republic was declared from the balcony of the Mayor's Hall on 28 October 1918. In November 1989, the first meeting of the communist government with the representatives of the Civic Forum led by Václav Havel took place here. The house underwent an extensive reconstruction in 1994–1997.
The Municipal House was built in 1905–1912 according to the plans by architects Antonín Balšánek and Osvald Polívka who won in the architecture competition. In line with the assignment from the part of the municipal council, it was conceived as a multifunctional building to be used for official, exhibition, concert, restaurant and commercial purposes. The most important Czech painters and sculptors of the beginning of the 20th century, such as Mikoláš Aleš, Max Švabinský, František Ženíšek, Josef Václav Myslbek and Alfons Mucha, participated in its decoration. The facade is dominated by a semi-circular mosaic based on a drawing by Karel Špillar.
There are several restaurants and cafés on the ground floor and in the basement. An information centre is in operation near the main entrance.
There are approximately 1240 rooms, the largest of which is the Smetana Hall. The architect of the Smetana Hall is Antonín Balšánek, ceiling paintings were made by František Ženíšek and stucco decorations by Karel Novák. The original furnishings include mirrors, coloured stained glass in the ceiling and Art Nouveau fabrics. The organ with 4 manuals and 89 registers is decorated with Bedřich Smetana's medallion by F. Hergesel. The Smetana Hall has been a regular venue for the most important concerts of the Prague Spring since its formation in 1946. The seating capacity at the concert arrangement is 1,259.
We invite you to our unique concert, organized in the Smetana Hall of the Municipal House.
