Municipal House

The Municipal House (Obecní dům) is Prague's most lavish Art Nouveau building, completed in 1912 on the site of the former Royal Court — the residence of Bohemian kings from the 14th century. Designed by architects Antonín Balšánek and Osvald Polívka, every room was decorated by the leading Czech artists of the era, including Alfons Mucha, who designed the Mayor's Hall entirely on his own. The building's centrepiece is Smetana Hall, Prague's largest concert hall, crowned by a glass dome and housing artwork by Mucha, Jan Preisler, and Max Švabinský; it is the main venue for the Prague Spring International Music Festival every May. The building also carries enormous historical significance: on 28 October 1918, Czechoslovak independence was proclaimed here in the Smetana Hall. Directly adjacent to the Gothic Powder Tower, the Municipal House represents one of the most dramatic architectural juxtapositions in Europe — and its ground-floor café is one of the most beautiful Art Nouveau interiors in Central Europe.