This street lamppost is definitely one of my favourite hidden gems of Prague. It’s the world’s only cubist lamppost that is still in working order. Earlier this year, in 2024, the damaged cabling was repaired and the lamp once again lights the way at night. And just to be clear, this lamp is unfortunately not the original, it’s a replica that was made in 1990. The original is in the Prague City Museum.
Cubism is an architectural style that was born in Prague at the beginning of the 20th century, so this lamp is very special indeed and I always take a little detour to see it when I’m walking by.
![](https://www.viewfromprague.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Art-Deco-Lamp-View-from-Prague.jpg)
Why visit the Cubist Lamppost in Prague?
- The only cubist lamppost in the whole world that’s still working
- Lovely example of cubism style
- It’s free to see!
The Prague Cubist Lamppost history
This street lamppost was designed by architect Emil Králíček between 1911 – 1913 as part of his project of re-development of an Adam Pharmacy – a house that is at the Wenceslas Square and at the time had a pharmacy on the ground floor. You can still see the pharmacy sign when you look up now (from Wenceslas Square) and from the back, the building has a light pink facade colour.
The back part of the pharmacy building faced Jungmann Square, which at the time looked very neglected. The well-known building company owned by Matěj Blecha repaired old walls and added flower beds with greenery and grass.
At that time, the area was not lit up, so Králíček decided to place a street lamp there. At that time, the architect was captivated by cubism, and he designed the lamp in the spirit of this ‘modern’ style.
The cubist lamppost design
The lamppost is made of artificial stone and looks like it’s made from a series of pyramids stacked upon each other, covered with a simple ornamental relief made from alternating grooved and smooth triangles. The lantern itself is made from metal and glass and it’s also shaped in a cubist style.
A fun detail is the little stone seat at the bottom of the lamppost column. This might look a bit strange now, but you have to imagine that the lamp was in a cosy setting of a little enclosed garden at the back of a private house when it was built.
Architect Emil Králíček
If you are inspired by this cubist lamppost, you might also like to see other works of Emil Kralicek. There are many different projects that he has worked on over the years, but the closest ones you might like to see on your visit to Prague are The Hotel of a Golden Goose (Wenceslas Square), Adam’s Pharmacy (Wenceslas Square), Palace Rokoko (Wenceslas Square – linked through a passage with Lucerna Palace), The Diamond House (corner house on Spalena Street no. 82, Prague 1) and many more.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
- Location: Jungmannovo náměstí (Square), 110 00, Prague 1 (nearest underground is Mustek – line B)
- Opening Times: All the times (not restricted)
- Tickets: Free
This blog post was originally written on 11 April 2024 and last updated on 11 April 2024
PIN TO KEEP FOR LATER
![](https://www.viewfromprague.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Cubist-Style-Lamppost-View-from-Prague.jpg)