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Rudolfinum | Prague-Tourism.com
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The neo-renaissance Rudolfinum building is located on a site called Rejdiště. In 1873 this site was bought by the Czech Insurance Company (Česká spořitelna), with the goal to build there a House of Artists (Dům umělců) as part of the celebrations of the fiftieth anniversary of its founding. Crown prince Rudolf became the patron of the project and the building was named after him. Well known Prague architects Ignác Ullmann, Antonín Barvitius, J. Zítek, J. Schulz a F. Beníšek, as well as Viennese architects A. Wieleman, O. Thienemann, G. Niemann, V. Lunche a Köchlin were invited to enter their bids into the project competition. The winners - J. Schulz and J. Zítek - presented the first plans in the year 1875. The facade is an analogy of the fire destroyed Semper Opera in Dresden (1838-41). The building was finished in the year 1881, the sculptures in the attic gable come from 1884 and during the same year the concert hall and the surrounding spaces were furnished.
The inauguration concert was held on February 7, 1885 and in this year also began exhibitions in the adjacent building.
Later, both buildings underwent several reconstructions: in the years 1919-20 it was an adaptation lead by Václav Roštlapil for the purposes of the parliament, another one in the years 1922-32 was lead by Rudolf Kříženecký. The changes concerned mainly the concert hall interior (the parliament chamber), loggia, the gallery, and the lounges decorations (in the upper floors of the northern building). Distinguished architects supplied parts of the decorations - Josef Gočár (two ceiling lighting fixtures) and Marie Teiniátzerová (wallpaper). In the year 1940 the architects Antonín Engel and Bohumír Kozák participated in the new reconstruction of the southern part of Rudolfinum. The great hall was modified (it again became a concert hall), the small hall as well (a fitting room was changed into a concert hall - Suk chamber (Sukova síň)). The northern side remained in the parliament appearance.
The whole building underwent significant changes during the general reconstruction in the years 1990-92 according to the project by Karel Prager. During this reconstruction some additions were partly removed (connecting passage), the spaces used for concert activities were newly renovated, and the northern, exhibition part was returned to its original purpose. Of the original decorations only the frescoes on the lounge dome in the west facade were preserved without being painted over.
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