Il Centro delle esposizioni di Praga si trova nella parte settentrionale della cittŕ, nel quartiere di Trója. Copre la parte dell´est del parco di Stromovka che fu fondata giá nel 14.secolo come una riserva di caccia reale.
The Exhibition Grounds were built for the General Land Centennial Exhibition held in Prague in 1891, which was a great social and cultural event. Many important personalities of the time were involved in its preparation.
The Exhibition Grounds have a rich history that reflects the historical and social development of Prague, as well as of the whole of the Czech Republic. It served for exhibitions of various nature, but it also became a center of entertainment, culture and free time.
Throughout many decades, Prague inhabitants and visitors gathered on the Exhibition Grounds to take part in various cultural and sports events or to enjoy pleasurable walks in the nearby Stromovka park.
The Exhibition Grounds underwent a large reconstruction for the General Czechoslovak Exhibition in Prague in 1991, creating new exhibition pavilions and several theatres, as well as new possibilities of the grounds’ use.
The total surface area of the Exhibition Grounds is 36 hectares.
The Industrial Palace
The art-nouveau building built in 1891 according to the design of Bedřich Münzberger is the dominant of the whole Exhibition Grounds. The Palace is the largest building on the grounds.
The Palace is 238 meters long and its central tower reaches the height of 51 meters.
Both of its wings are traditionally used as exhibition halls, nevertheless, they are also suitable for cultural events, e.g. balls, concerts, fashion shows, ceremonial dinners, etc.
Křižík´s Pavilions
The four universal exhibition pavilions called Křižík’s pavilions encompassing the area of Křižík’s fountain represent modern buildings on the Exhibition Grounds. They were designed by ing. arch. Michal Brix. Glass facades help to mask their robustness.
The floor area of the two larger pavilions amounts to 1850 m2, in case of the two smaller ones, it is 780 m2 each.
Křižík´s Fountain
Křižík’s fountain is one of the biggest attractions of the Exhibition Grounds. It was built for the occasion of the centennial exhibition in 1891 and its current appearance is the result of reconstruction carried out a century later. Křižík’s fountain is without exaggeration unique in Europe. Its effects are produced by a number of water circuits, jets and underwater spotlights of various colors. These effects accompanying both classical and modern music are remembered as outstanding experience by visitors from many countries. The walls of the adjacent pavilions encompassing the fountain create an amphitheatre for more than 6 000 spectators.
The Lapidary
The historical building from 1891 was built according to the design of Antonín Wiehl. It houses a collection of Czech stone sculpture of 11th –19th centuries, including the remarkable originals of the statues from the Charles Bridge, e.g. by the baroque master Mathias Braun, and other historical curiosities. The rear of the building offers some 700 m2 that can be used for social or exhibition purposes.
Marold´s Panorama
Another unique sight of the Exhibition Grounds. The walls of this round building are decorated with a remarkable work of the Czech painter Luděk Marold called The Battle of Lipany Panorama. The work was created in 1898 on the occasion of an exhibition of architecture and engineering. Last restoration was completed in 1991.
The Globe
A Czech project carried out in connection with the program Prague – European City of Culture 2000, which created a theatre for renaissance works, especially Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets.
The Spiral Theatre
This theatre was called after the spiral entrance to an original auditorium along the inner walls of the cylindrical building. The stage in the middle is used mostly for modern theatre performances.
The Pyramid Theatre
The Pyramid Theatre has become a new dominant of the lower part of the grounds. The Pyramid is a universal pavilion, harmoniously completing the wave shapes of the adjacent roofs. This building is used for exhibitions, but in the first place, it is a music theatre staging various musicals.