Dům s kinem Sevastopol House

Dům s kinem Sevastopol, also known as Broadway Palace or Trench Palace, is a functional building located in Prague 1 between the streets of the trench and Celetna. It was created in 1936-1938 according to the design of architects Bohumir Kozák and Antonín Černý. This object is important not only with its architectural value, but also with a rich history that ranges from its creation to World War II to the present. Since 1994 it has been protected as a cultural monument.

On the site of the former building of the Czech Industrial Bank with café Café Corso, built in 1897- 1898, architects Bohumír Kozák and Antonín Černý began construction of a new building financed by the Italian insurance companies Moldova Generali and Assicurazioni Generali. This commercial and rental house with arcade and cinema was completed in 1938. The architecture of the palace is characteristic of functional style, which is reflected in the reinforced concrete skeleton construction and three six-story wings.

The building is connected by two-storey basements to which the cinema space was located. Between the streets On the moat and Celetna there is a passage with the clotetons in the place of the former courtyards. Main facade to street On the moat there is a five-storey with another receding floor, divided by a simple ledge between the 4th and 5th floors.

The original owners of the building were the Italian insurance companies of Moldova Generali and Assicurazioni Generali. After World War II, the property was transferred to the administration of the Czech Republic, which is now represented by the Office for the Representation of the State in Property matters. In 2016, the administration of the building was taken over by the Railway and Infrastructure Administration, which tried to sell it without success until 2025.

The Broadway Palace, inaugurated on September 9, 1938 by the premiere of the film Countess Walewska with Greta Garbo and Charles Boyer, was equipped with the most modern projection and sound equipment. After the Munich Agreement in 1938, the name of the cinematographer was produced at Na Příkopě, which was later renamed UFA-Viktoria and finally Sevastopol. After the liberation in 1945 the cinema reflected Soviet films and became the third most visited cinema in Prague.

Today, the palace is rented to M.I.C.C. Prague, which has a long-term lease until 2048. The building underwent several reconstructions, last after 1980 for administrative purposes. The current state of the palace ensures its accessibility as a cultural monument and an important city building.

Dům s kinem Sevastopol is not only an architectural pearl of Prague, but also a witness of many historical changes. Its rich history and significant architecture make it an interesting target for anyone interested in history and cultural monuments of the city. Visiting this palace is an opportunity to appreciate not only its beauty, but also the deep history that hides in it.