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Point of Convergence

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The city of Prague features a myriad of architectural styles including:
  • Romanesque
  • Gothic
  • Renaissance
  • Baroque
  • Rococo
  • Classicism and Empire Style
  • Historicism
  • Moorish Revival
  • Art Nouveau
  • Cubism and Rondocubism
  • Functionalism
  • Communist Era
  • High Tech
  • Post 1989
  • These styles coexist with one another, converge at street corners and metro stops, and really play on the historic context of the city versus Prague's own modernity.

    Strolling around Wenceslas Square, and then nearby Tesco Supermarket, I found a corner where various architecture styles come to gather near the Mustek stop. At the corner of Pearl and 28th October (Palác ARA na rohu ulic Perlová a 28) sits the ARA Palace. This modern high-rise was originally constructed in 1931, and underwent a modern facelift in 1992. The structure serves as a administrative space for rent, and when compared alongside other examples of architecture in Prague, the building hardly distinguishes itself.

    Except in the glasswork, and what can be seen reflected in the curvature of the windows. Three nearby buildings can be seen reflected in the glass windows of the Ara Palace. As I stopped for a few moments to capture photos of the reflection and convergence of various architecture styles, passerby began to follow the focus of my camera upward. They begin to similarly look upon the refleciton captured in the building's reflection: adjacent buildings featuring various architectural styles--high tech, modernism, and art nouveau, and even hints of classicism and classic Greek/Roman sculpture.

    Across from the Ara Palace sits Palác Adria on the opposite corner, which was reconstructed in 1924 and is decorated with statues sculpted by Josef Malínský. While the sculpture on the exterior of the facade is reminiscent of ancient Greek and Roman portraiture, the rest of the building is influenced by architect Pavel Janák and the rondocubism style.

    Ultimately, this street reveals the manner in which multiple decades and eras come together to both complement and influence one another in the construction and history and development of Prague over time. Each style draws on some artistic or architectural influence of the past, and will eventually influence a future structure or piece.
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