Nová scéna Národního divadla Theatre building

Welcome to the heart of Prague, the part called Nové Město. Stop for a moment, take a breath and look in front of you. You're standing in front of a building that looks very brave and unshakeable in this historic area. It's Nová scéna Národního divadla. Perhaps at first glance you will be interested in its distinctive appearance, which is fundamentally different from that of the older Prague palaces. It's an architecture that doesn't scream with decorating, but it speaks in its form and volume. Feel this atmosphere of modernity which is inserted into the tissue of the old town and thus creates a fascinating contrast.

Now let's look together at how this building came into being and what its story is. To understand why this building is standing here, we need to go back much further in time than you might expect. It all started in the year nine hundred and fifty-eight. At that time, the so-called Choura houses were demolished, allowing space for future development of the National Theatre. It was a decision that changed the face of this part of town and prepared the ground for something completely new.

The path to the form you see today was long and accompanied by the cooperation of several important creators. In the year nine hundred seventy-six final plans were presented, on which the team under Pavel Kupka worked. Bohuslav Fuchs and Karel Prager also contributed to the production. These men wanted to create a space that would match the modern needs of the theatre and at the same time be a significant architectural gesture of its time. The construction took place in the years nine hundred seventy-seven to one thousand nine hundred eighty-three. It was a process of extensive reconstruction of the entire complex, in which the old were associated with the new.

Now pay attention to the architecture itself. Look at the facade and see the building lines. This building is a representative of post-modernism, but in its shape you can also find elements that are called brutal. What does that even mean in practice? Notice the raw and honest nature of materials, bold surfaces and geometric purity. The architects didn't try to disguise the building or embody it in historical style, but they wanted the building to express its time and function clearly. See how the building fills the space and how its mass works in the New Town space. It's an architecture that makes us think about space and how our understanding of beauty and usefulness changes.

However, when we ask why the building looks like this, we must mention one key person. In the year nine hundred and eighty entered the project Josef Svoboda. His involvement was crucial because he brought about a change in how the object will be used. His vision turned space into a theatre hall. Freedom was the master of scenography and space, which is why this building is set internally and externally to serve as an art machine. The entire complex was subsequently completed and officially opened in the year one thousand nine hundred eighty-three. Since then this scene has become a home for some of the most interesting performances in Prague.

And this is where we come to one of the greatest attractions of this place. The new scene isn't just an ordinary theater. It serves as a space for the operation of Laterna magic. If you've heard of it, you know it's a unique combination of film, theater and dance. It's a place where the boundaries between reality and painting are blurred, and this post-modern building is an ideal framework for such experimental art. It's fascinating to think that in these modern walls new magic is still being created that fascinates viewers from all over the world.

You may also be interested in how quickly our perception of architecture changes. Until a few decades ago, this building was perceived as controversial or too remote from the area. But time works in favor of courage. In two thousand twenty-one, the building was officially declared a cultural monument. That's a very significant recognition. It means that the state and experts have recognised that this post-modern building has an irreplaceable value for our history and that it deserves protection, as well as hundreds of years old temples or palaces. It's proof that concrete and modern lines can have their soul and their history.

Now try to imagine what it was like in a thousand nine hundred eighty-three when the building first opened. People came from the streets of the old town and suddenly this monumental, modern building stood before them. It was in many symbols of a new beginning and courage to seek new ways in art and architecture. Today, this building is a natural part of the Prague panorama, but it still raises questions and incentives in us.

Imagine all the people who walked through here, all the actors who walked into the halls and the thousands of spectators who walked away with new experiences. This building is not just from piles of material, it is a living organism that breathes through culture and history over the last few decades. It is a place where the technical precision of architects such as Pavel Kupka or Karel Prager meets the visionalism of Josef Svoboda.

Now that you know the story of this building, I suggest you go around the building and watch from different angles how light hits it and how it changes its expression depending on where you're looking at it. Feel its stability and at the same time its modern lightness which it carries. It really is a fascinating example of how our understanding of space changed in the second half of the twentieth century.

Thank you for accompanying me on this short trip to the history and architecture of the New Scene of the National Theatre. I hope you're interested in this space and that looking at its walls now you see more than just a modern building, but the whole story of courage, change and art. Now invited to explore the surroundings of New Town and discover other hidden treasures of our beautiful Prague. I wish you a pleasant continuation of your journey and many new inspiring experiences. Goodbye.