Church of Saint Wenceslas

Stained glass: Josef Kaplický
Stations of the Cross: Bedřich Stefan

Sculptures on the side altars: J. Kubíček, K. Pokorný, and V. Vosmík

Cross of the main altar: Čeněk Vosmík

The architectural style of the First Republic, known as functionalism or constructivism, is always clearly distinguishable. Especially in urban districts such as Vršovice or Vinohrady, where modern buildings are often hidden behind facades decorated according to the owner's wishes: in Art Nouveau, Gothic, or Rococo styles. The Catholic Church in Svatopluk Čech Square is an example of a building that does not wish to pretend. It reveals its construction, respects the terrain, and uses adornments only in quite exceptional instances. However, if we looked at St. Wenceslas Church and saw only a somewhat harsh, provocatively boxy form, our vision would remain superficial. Josef Gočár, the creator of the church's architecture, was too great an artist to convey expression through the use of period materials alone. By the turn of the 1920s and 1930s, he had already completed a number of significant projects, including the cubist house U Černé Matky Boží on Celetná Street and a neoclassical brick structure at the corner of Slezská and Římská streets. In Vršovice, it was probably the most challenging task – functionalism notably adheres to purpose, but the spiritual function of the church, its modern form always awaits a new creative act. It seems that the success of the building is based on several ideas: a wide vestibule that represents an open embrace of the church towards the lower, more frequented part of the square. Inside, it is about imaginative use of light, which, passing through the windows in the large stairways of the roof, almost theatrically illuminates the chancel. The wide space for the faithful has a pronounced upward extension in the central part. The conclusion of the chancel, formed by tall windows, is like a quotation from Gothic cathedrals, including the use of colored glazing. As the square rises, the building adjusts with several stairways, the largest resting place being the main area of the church. The steps in the terrain are then echoed in the roof, so the whole symbolizes ascent, rising to the light, rising to God.