St. Annes Church, Reconstruction, Prague

Prague, Czech Republic

Photo © Ester Havlová

Architects: AI - DESIGN, s.r.o.

Location: Zlatá 211/1, 110 00 Prague, Czech Republic
Year: 2004

St. Anne’s Church housed the monastery of Dominican Sisters in Prague’s Old Town. It’s origins lie in the C11th, firstly a Templar Lodge, built on and embellished during the 1320’s to become one of the most beautiful examples of Gothic religious architecture in Prague. In the late C17th the monastery was liquidated, the church deconsecrated, and many of the original Gothic features demolished. Wooden floors were installed, which have been preserved to date, and it functioned as a paper warehouse.

Vaclav Havel and his wife undertook to fund the rehabilitation and preservation of the building to serve as the base for their charitable foundation, VIZE 97, a multi-purpose venue seating up to 300 persons suitable for concerts, conferences, exhibitions, performances.