kubistická lampa Technical monument

Welcome to the heart of New Town, where your steps have now stopped before one of the most fascinating pieces of Prague's public space. You're standing in front of an object that at first sight may look like an ordinary element of urban lighting, but it's actually the real jewel of world art. Look carefully at this cubist lamp. It's a work that carries courage, experiment and desire to change the world's view. It's more than just a light source, it's an embodiment of geometry that explores the boundaries between architecture and sculpture.

Let us now go back more than a hundred years together until Prague became a laboratory of new directions. It's nine hundred and thirteen. It was this year that this work was completed. To understand why this lamp even exists, we need to look at a broader context. The lamp was not created as a separate element that was randomly placed on the corner of the street. It was designed as an integral part of Adam's pharmacy's overall project. The construction of this pharmacy began two years earlier, in the year tyre nine hundred eleven, and the entire space was to be a unified artistic total. At that time a unique direction was born in Prague, which tried to transfer the principles of cubism from painting plates to three-dimensional space, stone and metal.

Now pay attention to the appearance of the lamp itself, because it is in the details that its power hides. Look up and follow the line of the entire object. Note the blade made of artificial stone. It's a fascinating game of shapes. Instead of a smooth column, you see a series of chamallow needles. There are gorged surfaces and smooth triangles that clasp together and form a dynamic rhythm. It is a typical expression of cubist shape, where straight lines are broken and create a sense of movement even in stationary material.

If you carry your view even higher, you'll see the lantern itself. It's made of metal and glass. Notice how accurately it follows the geometry of the shank. The whole object acts as one continuous organism where each angle has its meaning and each edge of its function. It's a fascinating example of how even a practical object like a street lamp can be turned into an artistic expression.

The architect Emil Králíček is behind this unique work. He was the visionary who could translate theoretical ideas about space into a specific form. Rabbit wanted the details in the streets to reflect the spirit of their time. The lamp was thus not only used to illuminate the road for people who were heading to or around the pharmacy, but was also a silent witness to the city's changes. In the year nine hundred and twenty, the lamp was a full part of the city's lighting, a commonly used element, which, however, deviated from the tradition at the time.

The interesting thing is that today we are located in Jungmann Square, at the gate of the cemetery behind the church of Our Lady of Snow. Imagine what contrast that must have been when the lamp was new. Modern, bold, geometrical structure located near the historical church and silent cemetery. It is in this tension between old and new that lies the magic of this place. The lamp is now considered one of the icons of Czech architectural cubism. It is a unique work that survived for decades and today, in the year two thousand twenty-four, serves as an important monument to applied cubism in Prague.

Now imagine for a moment what this lamp looked like the night before the century. As the light passed through the glass of the lantern and cast shadows on the chamber needles of the shank. It's a fascinating idea that such a small object can tell such a big story about people who wanted to llamate the line and look for new ways in art. It is a reminder of when Prague was one of the most important centres of modern thinking in Europe.

When you look at a lamp, you realize that you're looking at something that is essentially unprecedented. It is proof of the courage of architect Emil Rabbit, who was not afraid to go upstream and create something that at that time could seem very untraditional. Today, it is tangible evidence for us of genius work with material and form.

Now, let's take some time to see all of these details for yourselves. Walk around the lamp around, change the angle of view, and watch the triangles change into sticks depending on your motion. Feel the atmosphere of this place where the history of the pharmacy meets, the silence of the cemetery and the courage of cubist art.

I hope this short trip to the world of geometry and history has brought you new views of Prague. This lamp is just one of many hidden treasures that our city offers to those who can notice the details. Now invited to further explore the New Town area. There may be other traces of cubism or other architectural attractions on other streets waiting to be discovered. Thank you for your attention, and I wish you a nice continued journey on the streets of Prague. Goodbye.