Church of the Most Sacred Heart of Our Lord

SIGHTSEEING, PRAGUE Updated : Jan 18, 2017, 12.51 PM IST

Dake Kang

A history and math student at the University of Chicago, Dake has been roaming the world since he was born, moving with his family from the United States to Korea and China as a child and most recently popping up in Oman, the Czech Republic, and India. With an insatiable curiosity about everything and anything - coupled with an unrelenting restlessness - he"s found himself in some pretty unusual situations, from being struck by lighting to interviewing North Koreans to befriending Burmese soldiers on overnight trains. Catch up on his latest journalistic explorations at dakekang.com.

Photo courtesy: Dake Kang

This relatively new church is located a little off the tourist path in Prague 2, blocks away from the TV tower. On top of that, its visiting hours are very limited, open only immediately before and during service. Yet, the Church of the Most Sacred Heart of Our Lord is one of the most noteworthy churches in Prague. Why? One glance at a photograph will tell you the reason: Its bold and highly unusual architectural design. Finished in 1932, this Roman Catholic Church is considered one of the most significant works of religious and Czech architecture in the 20th century; its modern design, resembling a train station, was inspired by Egyptian temples and Christian basilicas. Its 42 meter tall tower has a gigantic transparent glazed clock with a diameter measuring 8 meters in the center, giving it its characteristic look. The roof of the tower is topped with a copper dome and 4 meter-tall cross. The interior is no less remarkable, with mesmerizingly geometric rows of hanging orbs, starkly modernist metal statues, and bare brick walls giving it an entirely different flavor and atmosphere, a welcome break from the endless Baroque, Gothic, and Romanesque interiors featured in other churches around Prague. For a refreshing breath of modernist religious architecture, made a small pilgrimage to this Church a bit out of the city center―you won’t regret it.
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