Hanau pavilion, Cast iron pavilion in Holešovice, Czech Republic
The Hanau pavilion is a neo-baroque building of cast iron, masonry, glass and stucco on the edge of Letná Gardens in Holešovice. A two-armed staircase with a wrought-iron railing leads up to the cream facade, whose tiered roof carries a cupola with gold detailing and a finial. The eastern terrace looks out over Prague.
The structure was built in 1891 for the Prague Jubilee Exhibition to showcase the Komárov Ironworks. Prince Wilhelm Hanavský later donated the building to Prague, where it became a permanent feature.
The pavilion reflects how Prague embraced industrial craftsmanship in the late 1800s, turning factory techniques into public art that people still enjoy as a restaurant and gathering space. The cast iron details show the pride local ironworks took in their technical skill.
The pavilion operates as a restaurant where you can make reservations and sits on an elevated location within the gardens offering views of Prague's bridges. You can reach it by walking through Letna Park from the surrounding streets.
The pavilion is not Prague's oldest cast-iron structure: Masaryk railway station's hall and platforms date from 1862, and the Sadová colonnade in Karlovy Vary from 1881. The interior once held a nearly six-metre pyramid of cast-iron products topped by an eagle.
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