Storch House, Cultural monument at entrance of Celetná Street, Old Town of Prague, Czech Republic.
Storch House is a four-story building at the entrance of Celetná Street in Prague's Old Town featuring a neo-Renaissance facade with detailed frescoes. The ornate exterior displays the inscription 'Praga Caput Regni' and serves today as a private establishment with a Thai massage service at street level.
The present house was built in 1896–1897 for publisher Alexander Štorch to a design by architect Friedrich Ohmann in the Vladislav Gothic style, replacing the earlier Maršálkovský house demolished in 1896. It burned during the Prague Uprising in 1945, damaging Ladislav Novák's frescoes, and was restored in 1948, with further work in 1972, 1986–1987 and 1993.
The facade frescoes were painted by Ladislav Novák from cartoons by Mikoláš Aleš, who avoided scaffolding because he suffered from vertigo. They show Saint Wenceslas on horseback, Jan Amos Komenský, a writing monk, the coats of arms of Bohemia and Prague, and a stork, the publisher's emblem. Aleš and Štorch knew each other from the pub U zlatého tygra.
The building sits at Staroměstské náměstí 552/16, directly on the Old Town Square and easily walkable from any of the surrounding streets. Early morning or late afternoon visits offer the best experience when crowds are thinner on this busy public square.
The house stands on the site of the earlier Maršálkovský dům, demolished in 1896. Its frescoes were made by Ladislav Novák after designs by Mikoláš Aleš, who did not paint them himself because he suffered from vertigo on scaffolding. Aleš and Štorch knew each other from the Old Town pub U zlatého tygra.
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