Adjustments to the presbytery in the Cathedral of St. Vitus, Wenceslaus, and Adalbert

The space of the presbytery of the cathedral has undergone reconstruction and has been supplemented with some modern elements. The historic Neo-Gothic altar has been completely restored, and the presbytery has been equipped with a new tiered arrangement and newly designed liturgical furniture such as the pulpit, sedes, seats for the accompanying celebrants, side tables, a stand for the processional cross, an abac for the relics of saints, and other elements that form a cohesive set. The modifications were addressed in a thoroughly contemporary manner as functional, yet refined designs with a strong emphasis on high-quality craftsmanship. Pulpit The pulpit made from simple metal profiles is a modern variation of the curule chair, the original form of the bishop's throne. Due to its noble and clear form, it creates an archetype of a festive and timeless type of chair. The sedes are designed on the same principle. Abac for the relics of saints The relics of saints, which Charles IV passionately collected and preserved, were exhibited for the first time in the Spytihněv basilica before the construction of the cathedral. The abac, which has been newly designed for this significant occasion, is conceived as an interpretation of the column from the former Spytihněv basilica, of whose fragments are still found in the underground of the cathedral. The abac represents a connection between history and the present. Its shaft consists of four rods twisted in a spiral in line with the flutes of the original column of the basilica. The crystal capital forms a noble surface, a platform for the relic. Neo-Gothic Mocker Altar In connection with the restoration of the altar, the space was reorganized. We proposed the removal of all inappropriate elements and accessories that obscured the altar's architecture. A Gothic sculpture of the Madonna with child has been newly placed in the Neo-Gothic altar. Its positioning in the main axis of the cathedral was chosen due to the dedication of the high choir to the cult of the Virgin Mary since the times of Charles IV.