#Multifunctional building #Prague (Praha) #Czechia #1939
František Stalmach, Jan Hanuš Svoboda
Sokolovská 371/1
186 00
Prague (Praha),
Czechia
Public transport: Florenc
Access: Public building, free entry during working hours
Today's use: Bank, offices, apartments
Description
The building presents a majestic architectural gesture that welcomes visitors into the Karlín district. Its gently curving façade lends the structure a softer, more inviting character. This sense of lightness is reinforced by the large ground-floor and first-floor windows originally used by the bank, as well as by the extensive use of glass blocks, which brighten the interior spaces — including the bank’s foyer.
The building’s form is defined by the combination of its sweeping curve and projecting balconies. Glass appears again in the balcony railings, while the large windows adjacent to the balcony zone function almost like winter gardens. The modernity of the building is further emphasized by the horizontal ribbon windows along both façades. These continuous bands of glazing reduce the visual weight of the exterior and avoid the heaviness typical of stone or traditional cladding, enhancing the overall sense of openness.
Originally, the building had only six floors. The seventh floor was added in the second half of the 20th century, altering the building’s original proportions. Around the same time, plastic cladding was applied over the original stone façade, significantly transforming the appearance of the building.
Two sculptures flank the entrance to the bank: a miner on the Ke Štvanici Street side and a peasant woman harvesting on the Sokolovská Street side. Both works were created by Václav Markup in 1942.
The architecture of Palác Atlas shows strong affinities with the slightly younger Cristal building in Železný Brod, reflecting similar modernist principles and material choices.
Description
The building presents a majestic architectural gesture that welcomes visitors into the Karlín district. Its gently curving façade lends the structure a softer, more inviting character. This sense of lightness is reinforced by the large ground-floor and first-floor windows originally used by the bank, as well as by the extensive use of glass blocks, which brighten the interior spaces — including the bank’s foyer.
The building’s form is defined by the combination of its sweeping curve and projecting balconies. Glass appears again in the balcony railings, while the large windows adjacent to the balcony zone function almost like winter gardens. The modernity of the building is further emphasized by the horizontal ribbon windows along both façades. These continuous bands of glazing reduce the visual weight of the exterior and avoid the heaviness typical of stone or traditional cladding, enhancing the overall sense of openness.
Originally, the building had only six floors. The seventh floor was added in the second half of the 20th century, altering the building’s original proportions. Around the same time, plastic cladding was applied over the original stone façade, significantly transforming the appearance of the building.
Two sculptures flank the entrance to the bank: a miner on the Ke Štvanici Street side and a peasant woman harvesting on the Sokolovská Street side. Both works were created by Václav Markup in 1942.
The architecture of Palác Atlas shows strong affinities with the slightly younger Cristal building in Železný Brod, reflecting similar modernist principles and material choices.
History
The construction of this building lasted from 1939 to 1942, a period undoubtedly prolonged by the circumstances of the Second World War. What surprised us most during our research is how little information exists about the building. When it opened, the ground floor housed a bank branch, with the bank’s offices located on the upper floors. The basement was home to the Atlas cinema, while the remaining levels were used as residential apartments. So far, no definitive information has been found regarding the building’s developer — possibly the Spořitelna bank, given that the two architects were highly specialized in designing bank buildings.
The building stands on a historically significant site. Until 1875, one of Prague’s city gates, the Poříčská brána, stood nearby, marking the boundary of the Nové Město district. At this location — the entrance to the Karlín district along Sokolovská Street — a neoclassical residential building was demolished to make room for the new structure. In a sense, Palác Atlas became a modern gateway to the Karlín district.
In the 1980s, the façade was covered with plastic cladding that concealed the original stone surface. Whether during the 1980s or possibly earlier, the current top floor was also added. This addition is already visible in a photograph documenting the construction of the Prague Magistrala, built through this area in 1978. The photograph — taken sometime between 1978 and 1985 — also shows the entrance building of the Praha-Těšnov railway station, which was demolished in 1985. It appears at the top center of the image (left of the Magistrala), while Palác Atlas appears at the top right, already featuring its added upper floor.
History
The construction of this building lasted from 1939 to 1942, a period undoubtedly prolonged by the circumstances of the Second World War. What surprised us most during our research is how little information exists about the building. When it opened, the ground floor housed a bank branch, with the bank’s offices located on the upper floors. The basement was home to the Atlas cinema, while the remaining levels were used as residential apartments. So far, no definitive information has been found regarding the building’s developer — possibly the Spořitelna bank, given that the two architects were highly specialized in designing bank buildings.
The building stands on a historically significant site. Until 1875, one of Prague’s city gates, the Poříčská brána, stood nearby, marking the boundary of the Nové Město district. At this location — the entrance to the Karlín district along Sokolovská Street — a neoclassical residential building was demolished to make room for the new structure. In a sense, Palác Atlas became a modern gateway to the Karlín district.
In the 1980s, the façade was covered with plastic cladding that concealed the original stone surface. Whether during the 1980s or possibly earlier, the current top floor was also added. This addition is already visible in a photograph documenting the construction of the Prague Magistrala, built through this area in 1978. The photograph — taken sometime between 1978 and 1985 — also shows the entrance building of the Praha-Těšnov railway station, which was demolished in 1985. It appears at the top center of the image (left of the Magistrala), while Palác Atlas appears at the top right, already featuring its added upper floor.
Sources
Sources
