Old entrance hall of the General Train Station 2 Puzzle - Prague, Czech Republic
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ToRo61
N 50° 04.984 E 014° 26.117
33U E 459598 N 5548018
The historic building of the Prague railway station
Waymark Code: WM16BVG
Location: Hlavní město Praha, Czechia
Date Posted: 06/25/2022
Views: 28
Prague Main Railway Station (formerly Emperor Franz Joseph Railway Station, Wilson Railway Station) is the largest passenger railway station in the Czech Republic and the most important railway station in Prague. The historic building and the hall above the tracks are the largest Art Nouveau monument in the Czech Republic. The new station building in Art Nouveau style was built in 1901-1909 according to the winning design by Josef Fanta. The last reconstruction of the historic building was carried out in 2012-2014. Today there is a café named after the builder of the building, Josef Fanta.
"The original railway station, which bore the name of Emperor Franz Josef, was built based on a design by Vojtech Ignác Ullmann and Antonín Barviti in the Neo-Renaissance style in 1871. The building with two clock towers was 150 m long. Ionic columns supported the roofs of the porticos terminating both wings, and a spacious hall covered with a coffered ceiling occupied the ground floor of the station building. However, the building, which soon became known as the “chateau station” for its appearance, soon ceased to suffice capacity-wise. At the turn of the century, a public tender for a complete reconstruction was announced.
Architect Josef Fanta won the competition with a project that envisioned the entrance hall based on the principles of Art Nouveau style as a semicircular central pavilion with cash desks and entrances to the platform (today the space serves as a café). The entrance façade from the street comprises a large window in the shape of an arch. From the central section, two wings end with three-story buildings. The complex was enhanced with four towers: two that complete the edges of the central vestibule with peaks formed by glass globes. The other two adorn the wing buildings, each with a clock, and the south tower also features the symbol of the railways - a winged wheel. The station was rebuilt while remaining in full operation from 1901 to 1909. The dome above the central part of the building is decorated with Art Nouveau motifs and statues by Stanislav Sucharda and Ladislav Šaloun depicting Czech cities.
From 1972 to 1977, the building was extensively modernized, and a new check-in hall was added, which connects the historical building, the tracks, the roof car park and the Hlavní nádraží metro station."
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