In Strašnice, a church in the shape of a three-sided pyramid was consecrated 30 years ago

Prague - In Prague's Strašnice district, the Roman Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, in the shape of a triangular pyramid, was consecrated 30 years ago, on June 17, 1994, and is one of the first churches built in the Czech lands after the end of communist rule. The construction took place from 1992 to 1994 based on the design by architect Jindřich Synek, who also reconstructed several sacred buildings.

The foundation stone of the church was blessed during his visit to Czechoslovakia in April 1990 by Pope John Paul II; the actual construction took 19 months. The church has a floor plan of an isosceles triangle, and its exterior resembles a triangular pyramid with only two long slanted stained-glass windows at its ends. The dominant feature of the building is the cross at the top of the church, rising to a height of 25 meters.

After 1989, several dozen churches and hundreds of smaller religious buildings, such as chapels, were newly built in the Czech Republic. By far the majority are Roman Catholic, which have mainly emerged in Moravia and Silesia. New sanctuaries after 1989 were also represented by the Evangelical, Brethren, or Orthodox churches, as well as the Jewish community. With the growing number of Muslims living in the Czech Republic, several mosques have also been established in the past three decades.

According to experts, modern churches have a somewhat different focus than previously built temples. They serve much more as community centers, often featuring cinemas, clubrooms, or cafes. Especially in housing estates, where there is often a lack of quality public infrastructure, they fulfill the role of a place where people meet not only during worship services.