The exhibition commemorates the centenary of the establishment of the Rokoko Palace

Prague - An exhibition commemorating the 100th anniversary of the construction of the Rokoko Palace on Wenceslas Square in Prague is taking place right in its passage. It is freely accessible to all passersby and shows the history of two adjacent buildings, known as the Šupich Houses, in photographs. The exhibition will run until November 15.
    In 1915, a complex of three multifunctional buildings was created according to the design of the prominent architect Emil Králíček, which today forms the corner of Wenceslas Square and Štěpánská Street. According to experts, it is now considered one of the best architectural works of the construction company Matěj Blechy - Králíček designed under the auspices of this construction firm, and it took a long time for his realizations to be credited to him - either the author was stated as unknown or his work was attributed to other architects. The sculptural decoration was provided by three notable artists of their time, Karel Pavlík, Antonín Waigant, and Antonín Odehnal.
    The so-called Šupich Houses belong to buildings of geometric Art Nouveau with elements of Cubism, which can be observed on the distinctive facades of the building. Inside the block is an extensive system of passages, whether the Rokoko passage inclined towards geometric modernity, especially with its glass domes, or the Lucerna passage, built in the already declining Art Nouveau style.
    "The Šupich Houses are among the best examples of modern palace architecture in Prague's city along with buildings such as the Koruna Palace, Hvězda, or Lucerna," says architectural historian Zdeněk Lukeš, who is the author of the exhibition concept and accompanying texts. The photographs were provided by Ester Havlová, a specialist in architectural photography. The texts and photographs are also combined in a publication for the 100th anniversary of the construction of the Šupich Houses, which is being released this month.
    The Rokoko Palace underwent renovation in 2004 and 2005 at the initiative of the descendants of Josef Šupich. They are also advocating for turning the passage into a public cultural space, for example, with the possibility of organizing further exhibitions.