Archa Palace

history

The two neighbouring buildings, which now house Československá obchodní banka, were originally built by the Bank of the Czechoslovak Legions in 1921—1939. The first Legiobanka building was constructed on the site of a one-storey late Classicist house from the middle of the 19th century, which was demolished. It was formerly home to the famous and quite probably the first Prague cabaret U Bucků and the eponymous brewery. In 1919, the need arose for a bank where Czechoslovak legionaries in Russia and France could store surplus compensation and money from the sale of unconsumed food rations. The bank’s offices were initially located in the Štefánik Barracks and later at the U Saského dvora Hotel on the corner of Hybernská and Senovážné streets, from which they moved to the newly-built building. The building was designed by Josef Gočár in the then new architectural style of rondo cubism. It is also called the national style or curved cubism. The idea was to soften the original sharp Cubist edges, cubes and triangles, rounding them into arches in the spirit of Slavic tradition. The relatively narrow façade of the building is distinguished by its striking mass and strongly profiled arched cornices. The building is set at a greater depth, leaving a wider pavement in front. It is five stories high with an attic. The right longitudinal and rear transverse wings are attached to its front wing. The courtyard space is filled by a ground floor structure containing a three-nave bank hall. Construction was carried out by the F. Troníček company and the Nekvasil concrete plant. Gočár invited his friends and outstanding artists to collaborate with him: Jan Štursa authored the four sculptures of legionaries placed atop the pillars at the main entrance, and Otto Gutfreund created the sandstone relief on the parapet of the second floor featuring battles and the return of the legions. František Kysela designed the stained glass windows at the head of the three-leaf vault of the ample skylight above the banking hall and the painted decor inside. The best-preserved original fresco remains in the columned hall of the waiting room on the first floor in the so-called columbarium. The bank’s furnishings were manufactured based on Josef Gočár’s designs. A concert hall with an organ was built in the basement of the building and later converted into a theatre. E.F. Burian’s D 34 Theatre used to perform here.

Legiobanka did very well, so much so that in 1937—38 it had a second building constructed in the neighbourhood in modern Functionalist style designed by architect František Marek, a pupil of Gočár at the Academy of Fine Arts. The building is connected by a thoroughfare to the original Gočár building. Its hallway boasting a reinforced concrete vault without visible ribs is particularly valuable, as are the architectural details of the railings, door fittings, etc. The building is sometimes called the Golden Cob (Zlatý klas), most likely due to the decor on the second floor with the motif of a wrought iron cob designed by Josef Kaplický. The new building included a walk-through with the famous U Rozvařilů buffet diner, whose name harks back to a cabaret beer hall popular before the First World War. The second Functionalist building was built by the Lanna a.s. Company and Dr. Skorkovský. Legiobanka was incorporated into the State Bank of Czechoslovakia after February 1948 and both buildings were used for administrative purposes for many years. It was not until 1990 that Československá obchodní banka purchased both buildings and undertook their magnificent reconstruction and completion. The author of the reconstruction concept for the compound is Ing. Arch. V. Obadálek, while the project documentation was drafted under the direction of Ing. Arch. Jan Janoušek, and construction was carried out by Konstruktiva. Construction works took place from 1992 to 1994. The unsightly courtyard extensions were demolished and replaced by a six-storey administrative building with an underground garage designed by Jan Janoušek, while the interiors were designed and fitted with contemporary elements by Marek Houska. A new thoroughfare was created, which included a fountain and an artificial park landscape. At the same time, the theatre was renovated based on the designs of architects Miroslav Melena and Ivan Plicka. This created a variable space with two halls, offering the option of creating any type of stage, from a classic peephole to an arena. The capacity ranges from 250 to 1200 spectators depending on the type of use. The theatre is now called the Archa, as the main auditorium looks a bit like the deck of a ship. The buffet with the U Rozvařilů restaurant was also reconstructed. The overall reconstruction of the premises included the restoration of original interior ornaments, railings and grilles, doors, parquet floors and furniture. Atrea was involved in manufacturing the necessary replicas. The sensitive reconstruction and precise replicas of the original inventory have made this bank branch a unique gem among modern monuments.