The Church of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

The Slovenian master Jože Plečnik left his mark in Prague not only as the chief architect of Prague Castle but also as the author of an extraordinary sacred building from 1928 to 1932. Originally, Plečnik’s students from the Prague School of Applied Arts worked on the design of the second church in Vinohrady (after St. Ludmila). However, the jury of the architectural competition eventually decided to approach Plečnik himself.

The exterior of the building is adorned with a cloak of travertine cladding, which, with its blocks of artificial stone and granite, resembles royal ermine. From this cloak rises a massive rectangular tower, turned towards the city center, featuring clock faces that are the largest in the country, with a diameter of 7.6 meters. The interior of the church is a vast open space that combines contrasts – a simply shaped austere envelope made of brickwork, complemented by a coffered ceiling, contrasts with sumptuous decorations, including gold details and sculptures, which have received the utmost attention. The same is true for the new marble altar from Josef Pleskot’s workshop.