Mánes Exhibition Hall

One of the icons of the Vltava river embankments is the functionalist building standing on the site of the former Šítkovské Mills. It was created for the needs of the Mánes Association of Fine Artists, which had long lacked its own exhibition spaces and facilities. The association was founded in 1887 and had been waiting for such a building until 1930 when its operations began with the exhibition “One Hundred Years of Czech Art 1830-1930.” The controversial design of the hall, by Otakar Novotný, follows the layout of the former mills, as one of the city’s conditions was to preserve the flow of the Vltava river underneath the building. The entire structure is elevated on a reinforced concrete bridge. The functionalist building, with light permeating through roof skylights, large strip windows, luxfer glass, and the entire ground floor, is not only admired by architecture enthusiasts but has also served as a meeting place for artists since its establishment.