Golden Angel, Administrative building in Smíchov, Czech Republic.
Golden Angel is an office building at the Náměstí Andel intersection in the Smíchov district of Prague, shaped with curved edges and large glass facades on all sides. It stands seven stories tall and occupies a prominent corner where several busy roads meet.
The name refers to a former pharmacy that once displayed a golden angel statue at this spot, which gave the square its current name, Náměstí Andel. The statue was removed in 1980 during subway construction, and the present building was later put up on the same site.
The glass facade carries printed lines from Franz Kafka, Rainer Maria Rilke, and other writers connected to Prague, visible to anyone crossing the square. The words appear at eye level and become part of the daily walk through this part of the city.
The building sits directly above the Andel metro station, making it easy to reach on foot from the exit. The surrounding streets are heavily used during the day, especially at rush hour, so foot traffic around the building can be dense.
The angel figure visible on the glass was created using around 150 million tiny printed dots that only come together as a recognizable image when seen from a distance. The design draws from Wim Wenders's film Wings of Desire.
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