General Pension Institute (Všeobecný penzijní ústav) (1932)

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#Multifunctional building #Prague (Praha) #1932

Architects

Josef Havlíček, Karel Honzík

Address and directions

náměstí Winstona Churchilla 1800/2, Seifertova 1840/6, Siwiecova 1839/1
130 00 Prague (Praha), Czechia

Public transport: Husinecká

Access: Public building, free entry during working hours

Today's use: Multifunctional building

Prague's first "skyscraper" with a difficult name, today known as Dům Radost (House Joy).

Description

This building appears almost monumental with 12 floors and a height of 52 metres. On a first sight, the building is reminiscent of the brutalist style of the 1970s.The building is composed of three components. The central component in a north-south orientation has 12 floors. To the central component two seven-floor-components are attached in an east-west orientation. Inside, all parts are all connected to one another via the staircaise and the corridors. The reinforced concrete construction is cladded with white tiles from the company Rako.

To the north and south, the 12-floors-component is framed by two lower buildings with apartments, shops and restaurants.

The main component features a roof top terrace, currently used as a bar.

The progressive architecture caters for good ventilation and light for the almost 700 offices and rooms. In addition, the outside western entrance area deserves a special mention. It is composed of a small canopy supported by trapezoidal pillars, whose airy construction gives the impression of a building of the 1950s. Other highlights in the time of construction were the metal window frames and an air conditioning.

Description

This building appears almost monumental with 12 floors and a height of 52 metres. On a first sight, the building is reminiscent of the brutalist style of the 1970s.The building is composed of three components. The central component in a north-south orientation has 12 floors. To the central component two seven-floor-components are attached in an east-west orientation. Inside, all parts are all connected to one another via the staircaise and the corridors. The reinforced concrete construction is cladded with white tiles from the company Rako.

To the north and south, the 12-floors-component is framed by two lower buildings with apartments, shops and restaurants.

The main component features a roof top terrace, currently used as a bar.

The progressive architecture caters for good ventilation and light for the almost 700 offices and rooms. In addition, the outside western entrance area deserves a special mention. It is composed of a small canopy supported by trapezoidal pillars, whose airy construction gives the impression of a building of the 1950s. Other highlights in the time of construction were the metal window frames and an air conditioning.

History

The building was constructed between 1932 and 1934 on the site of a former gas works. Since the regulatory plan for Prague at that time provided only block development the cross shape of the building is quite unusual. From February 1934 the Pension Institute used the offices. This institution was assigned to the Czechoslovak trade unions in 1951. That was the reason why the building was called the House of Trade Union Associations (Dům odborových svazů) from 1951. A private investor bought the entire building in 2018 and renamed it in House Joy (Dům Radost). Since this time trade unions still use 20% of the premises. Presently, in addition to offices, the building hosts apartments, restaurants and shops, as it always did. The roof top terrace is a new feature of the building.

A website with some historic pictures.

History

The building was constructed between 1932 and 1934 on the site of a former gas works. Since the regulatory plan for Prague at that time provided only block development the cross shape of the building is quite unusual. From February 1934 the Pension Institute used the offices. This institution was assigned to the Czechoslovak trade unions in 1951. That was the reason why the building was called the House of Trade Union Associations (Dům odborových svazů) from 1951. A private investor bought the entire building in 2018 and renamed it in House Joy (Dům Radost). Since this time trade unions still use 20% of the premises. Presently, in addition to offices, the building hosts apartments, restaurants and shops, as it always did. The roof top terrace is a new feature of the building.

A website with some historic pictures.

Construction types
reinforced concrete
Facades
tiles
Windows
casement
Roof
flat
Details
roof terrace canopy lettering
Position
along a street periphere/neighbourhood
Storeys
12

Impressions

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