Palác Lucerna, Art Nouveau shopping and cultural center in New Town, Prague, Czech Republic
Palác Lucerna is a multistory Art Nouveau building with ten floors above ground and four underground levels in the New Town district of Prague. Passages link Štěpánská and Vodičkova streets, running through retail spaces, cafes, a cinema, and several performance halls.
Construction started in 1907 under architect Václav Havel, grandfather of the future Czech president, using reinforced concrete techniques new to Prague at the time. The building was completed in stages and served as one of the city's first modern shopping and entertainment centers.
The Great Hall hosts musicians and bands throughout the year, while smaller rooms serve for exhibitions and gatherings. The name Lucerna means lantern, recalling the building's original purpose as a place of entertainment and social life in Prague.
Two elevators serve different sections of the building, and the passages remain open throughout the day. Most shops and performance spaces occupy the lower floors, while upper levels house private offices.
The building houses one of Prague's 26 working paternoster lifts, a continuous chain of open cabins moving slowly without stopping. Visitors can step in as the cabins keep rotating, experiencing a now rare form of vertical transport.
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