Church of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

Slovenian architect Josip Plečnik is primarily known in the Czech Republic as the architect of Prague Castle. In addition to that, he also contributed to the appearance of the city with another significant building. His church of the Most Sacred Heart of Our Lord at Jiřího z Poděbrad Square, which has become an inseparable dominant feature of Vinohrady and part of Prague's panorama, was consecrated 75 years ago, on May 8, 1932.
    The competition for the construction of the new church was announced in 1919, with the "Society for the Construction of the Second Temple of the Lord in Royal Vinohrady" established as early as March 1914. Plečnik himself did not participate in the competition; however, his students from the Academy of Art, Architecture and Design, where he had been teaching since 1910, succeeded. Later, the jury and allegedly the participants themselves called on Plečnik to work on the design himself.
    Plečnik completed his design in 1927, significantly modifying his original vision, which envisioned generous development of the area with additional buildings including a school, residential houses, and a triumphal arch. The reason for this was the lack of financial resources for such an ambitious project, which also significantly delayed its realization. Plečnik created a total of three designs, without claiming any reward. In the final design, he reduced the estimated costs to about one third.
    The basis for financing the construction became the so-called Beptovská foundation. It managed the property (mostly farmland) of wealthy New Town councilor Karel Leopold Bepta, who donated it for church purposes. In addition to this main source of funding, the entire parish helped through numerous collections, donations, and lotteries. The construction was commissioned to the Nekvasil company from Karlín.
    From 1928 to 1932, a monumental modern hall building with a wide tower, partially clad in a facade and partially white plastered, rose on the square. In designing the church, Plečnik was reportedly inspired by early Christian Mediterranean architecture. The rectangular hall measures 26 by 38 meters and is 14 meters high. The wide main tower, with six bells, is topped with a three-meter high copper dome and a four-meter high cross, reaching a height of 42 meters. The tower features a large round window with a diameter of 7.6 meters, which also serves as a clock. In the basement, there is a spacious chapel with a barrel vault, which contemporary architects consider Plečnik's most spiritual space.
    The interior of the church, which was largely created after its consecration, is as original as the exterior. It was primarily designed by Plečnik himself; after his return to his native Ljubljana, the work was taken over by Plečnik's successor Otto Rothmayer. The sculptural decoration is the work of Damián Pešan, the paintings of the Stations of the Cross were painted by František Doubek, and the colorful decoration of the windows featuring the motif of the Sacred Heart was designed by Karel Svolinský. The organs were made by the Mölzer company from Kutná Hora, and the bells were cast by the workshop of Rudolf Manoušek in Brno.
    Plečnik also designed the surrounding layout of the square. However, it was never completed, and the implemented modifications largely did not survive the later construction of underground shelters and the metro station.
    Last year, the Ministry of Culture included the church on the preliminary list of monuments and cultural assets that the Czech Republic will propose for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List for the period 2007 to 2018.