There are many interesting buildings in Prague with their own history, and it is difficult to single out the most beautiful of them. The house of the publisher Oleksandr Storkh on the corner of the Old Town Square is one of the most remarkable buildings in the capital.
The facade of the house does not stand out with stucco elements, bas-reliefs or other three-dimensional details, like neighboring buildings - the more impressive looks on a flat wall of its elegant Gothic bay window.
When Storch's house was being renovated, architect Friedrich Ohman planned to create a flat faç ade in the new building without embossed decorations. The architect wanted to restore the medieval look of the house, in addition, on a large area of smooth walls was planned to make a painting. However, the beautiful bay window in the Gothic style simply could not be destroyed. It had to be preserved - so decided the architects, builders and the owner of the building.
Architect Františ ek Tihna supervised the construction work.
During the interior redevelopment of the workers' house, a surprise awaited - inside the building was a small chapel. There was no entrance to it - there were no doors at all in the mysterious building. When he managed to get inside the chapel, there was a table. There was a sword on the table, and there were no more traces around. How the sword got inside the chapel, who did all this - is not known for sure.
The eclectic style of the Czech Neo-Renaissance with elements of Vladislav's Gothic was embodied in the architectural form of the Storch House. The house stands on an ancient foundation. On its faç ade, Gothic phials and Romanesque openings adjoin the figured attic of the Renaissance style with a stepped pediment. The building has a beautiful facade painting in sgraffito technique. This work by the artist Mikulas Alyosha is a striking example of the Prague Secession.
The plots of colored frescoes depict St. Wenceslas - the patron saint of the Czechs. Wenceslas with a spear on a white horse solemnly enters the Old Town Square. The figure of the rider is surrounded by stylized floral ornaments.
Wenceslas is depicted next to a tree, and in the clouds above him flies a bird - a symbol of freedom of the Czech nation. Three more birds are depicted at the top of the facade. These are storks - they are very popular in the Czech Republic. Storks are often depicted as house signs on the facades of buildings. Folk legends are connected with them - it is believed that these birds bring happiness.
The facade of Storkhov's house was decorated with images of these birds quite naturally. The surname "Storch" in German means: "stork". In addition to birds and Wenceslas on the facade of the house you can see the ancient coat of arms of Prague, the coat of arms of the Kingdom of the Czech Republic and the names of the owners of the building.
In the old Czech Republic, it was a tradition to give buildings names associated with their owners.
The history of Storkhov's house dates back to the XV century. He has changed many names over the centuries. It was called "Marshal's House", "House at the Black Gate". The most famous ancient name was - "The Stone Virgin Mary" - a sculptural house sign you can still see in the lower right part of the facade.
Today, Storch's house cannot be called an example of any particular architectural style. It is a monument of the modern era, and, in fact, it is eclectic. This house attracts tourists with its extraordinary beauty without frills. Thanks to a combination of different styles, he successfully fit into the buildings of the Old Town Square. In its current form, one can trace the entire history of Prague architecture.
The facade of the house does not stand out with stucco elements, bas-reliefs or other three-dimensional details, like neighboring buildings - the more impressive looks on a flat wall of its elegant Gothic bay window.
When Storch's house was being renovated, architect Friedrich Ohman planned to create a flat faç ade in the new building without embossed decorations. The architect wanted to restore the medieval look of the house, in addition, on a large area of smooth walls was planned to make a painting. However, the beautiful bay window in the Gothic style simply could not be destroyed. It had to be preserved - so decided the architects, builders and the owner of the building.
Architect Františ ek Tihna supervised the construction work.
During the interior redevelopment of the workers' house, a surprise awaited - inside the building was a small chapel. There was no entrance to it - there were no doors at all in the mysterious building. When he managed to get inside the chapel, there was a table. There was a sword on the table, and there were no more traces around. How the sword got inside the chapel, who did all this - is not known for sure.
The eclectic style of the Czech Neo-Renaissance with elements of Vladislav's Gothic was embodied in the architectural form of the Storch House. The house stands on an ancient foundation. On its faç ade, Gothic phials and Romanesque openings adjoin the figured attic of the Renaissance style with a stepped pediment. The building has a beautiful facade painting in sgraffito technique. This work by the artist Mikulas Alyosha is a striking example of the Prague Secession.
The plots of colored frescoes depict St. Wenceslas - the patron saint of the Czechs. Wenceslas with a spear on a white horse solemnly enters the Old Town Square. The figure of the rider is surrounded by stylized floral ornaments.
Wenceslas is depicted next to a tree, and in the clouds above him flies a bird - a symbol of freedom of the Czech nation. Three more birds are depicted at the top of the facade. These are storks - they are very popular in the Czech Republic. Storks are often depicted as house signs on the facades of buildings. Folk legends are connected with them - it is believed that these birds bring happiness.
The facade of Storkhov's house was decorated with images of these birds quite naturally. The surname "Storch" in German means: "stork". In addition to birds and Wenceslas on the facade of the house you can see the ancient coat of arms of Prague, the coat of arms of the Kingdom of the Czech Republic and the names of the owners of the building.
In the old Czech Republic, it was a tradition to give buildings names associated with their owners.
The history of Storkhov's house dates back to the XV century. He has changed many names over the centuries. It was called "Marshal's House", "House at the Black Gate". The most famous ancient name was - "The Stone Virgin Mary" - a sculptural house sign you can still see in the lower right part of the facade.
Today, Storch's house cannot be called an example of any particular architectural style. It is a monument of the modern era, and, in fact, it is eclectic. This house attracts tourists with its extraordinary beauty without frills. Thanks to a combination of different styles, he successfully fit into the buildings of the Old Town Square. In its current form, one can trace the entire history of Prague architecture.
Translated automatically from Ukrainian. View original
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