Lighting of the ARA Palace

As part of the planned total reconstruction of the ARA Palace building on Jungmann Square in Prague, we were invited to design the façade lighting, including the sign on the roof of the building. The goal was to restore the original neon lighting of the palace and give it a contemporary and understated character. This beautiful assignment was accompanied by a study of a high-quality architectural historical survey conducted by Ing. arch. Martina Bártová. Since it was not possible to accurately identify the font used on the palace in the past from period photographs, a thorough analysis of period inscriptions from the 1920s and 1930s that appeared on department stores not only in Prague but across the Czech Republic was conducted. From this analysis, a range of fonts was created that could be compared with the original inscription placed on the palace. The entire design was continuously consulted with representatives from the heritage institute. The proposed typography is based on the inscription that was located on the department store Bílá Labuť on Na Poříčí Street. This font resembled the original inscription on the ARA Palace the most. At the same time, its narrow shape fits well among the verticals rising above the roof parapet and supports the overall proportion of the building. The design also includes the structure to which the ARA sign is anchored. The aim was for the structure to be as minimally disruptive as possible and to sufficiently withstand strong winds.
The character of the neon lighting does not overshadow the architectural design of the building, originally conceived by architect Milan Babuška and subsequently by architect František Řehák. Our design highlights the vertical and horizontal divisions of the palace and supports its dominant position on Jungmann Square.