Rudolfinum

A majestic building for art

Built of light-coloured sandstone, the Rudolfinum was a prestigious project of the "Bohemian Savings Bank" (Česká spořitelna). Founded in 1825, the Savings Bank was the oldest financial institution in the Kingdom of Bohemia. By building a multi-purpose building for art, the institution wanted to demonstrate its financial strength. A prestigious location was also important for this and accordingly the area opposite Prague Castle was chosen. Leading architects were invited to submit designs. In the end, a jury decided that the design by Josef Zitek and Josef Schulz should be implemented. Initially, the plans were subject to criticism, but in the end an architectural masterpiece was created that was so well thought out. The concert halls were so well thought out that they are still used for Philharmonic concerts today. The gallery also enchants visitors to this day.

Both the exterior and the interior of the Rudolfinum delight with their well-coordinated details. Among other things, there are two monumental corner towers on the north façade, and the entrance in the west, which leads to the richly decorated ceremonial staircase, is lined with 25 arches. Translucent ceilings provide fantastic lighting conditions in the gallery.

Milestones in history

The ceremonial opening of the Rudolfinum was planned for 24 January 1885, but due to an illness of Crown Prince Rudolf this was postponed to 7 February 1885. On this day the opening finally took place, but without the presence of the Crown Prince. Rudolf visited the impressive building for the first time in April 1885, and the opening was attended by all the citizens of Prague of distinction. In addition to the picture gallery and the halls for industrial art, the opening was crowned by a gala concert. The press described the Rudolfinum as a temple of culture. The Philharmonic Orchestra gave its opening concert on 4 January 1896. In the years between 1919 and 1932 the building was rebuilt to be used by the parliamentary chamber. The halls of the gallery were divided, generally the ceilings were lowered and many other measures served the purpose.

At the beginning of the Second World War, the Rudolfinum began to be renovated in order to turn it into an art centre once again. In the years that followed, the building was used by the German Philharmonic Orchestra. After 1945, a student of Zitek and a colleague completely restored the original function of the building, including the decoration. In the course of this, an annex was created, which allowed for an additional small concert hall. Since 1946, the Rolofinum has once again been the seat of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. Another milestone was a comprehensive conversion in the 1990s into the Academy of Performing Arts and the Prague Conservatory. Nevertheless, the Rodolfinum remained as a venue for events.

The Rodolfinum Gallery

The state art gallery is always worth a visit. The focus of the exhibitions is on contemporary art. Some of the works exhibited are from the classical modern period. When walking through the gallery, it is worth noticing the architectural design of the rooms, especially the entrance hall with its impressive staircase inspires at first sight. Thanks to good curators, the changing exhibitions are presented in a very harmonious and appealing way.

Seat of the Philharmonic

In the impressive concert halls of the Rodulfinum, impressive works are performed until today. Thus, it is worthwhile to have a look at the current event calendar, as it is not enough to only visit the concert halls including the impressive halls of the building, but it is advisable to enjoy the acoustics and the ambience during a concert.