Palác Purkyňova, Functionalist palace in New Town, Czech Republic.
Palác Purkyňova is a nine-story administrative building with functionalist architecture located at the Purkyňova Street intersection. The facade displays horizontal lines, shell-shaped balconies, and a distinctive bow-like form resembling a steamboat.
The building was commissioned by the Donau Insurance Company and designed by architect Adolf Foehr between 1927 and 1928. It replaced the former residence of Czech scholar Jan Purkyně at this location.
The ground floor once housed the Aventinum Bookstore, its interiors designed by Bedrich Feuerstein from the Devetsil artistic movement. This space served as a gathering place for artists and intellectuals interested in modern literature and ideas.
The building functions today as an administrative complex connected to adjacent structures through a shopping center with a theater, restaurant, and cafe. These amenities make it a convenient hub for different activities in one location.
The functionalist palace replaced the classicist House at the Five Roses, a two-storey building where the naturalist and philosopher Jan Evangelista Purkyně (1787–1869) lived and died, as did his son, the painter Karel Purkyně (1834–1868). The street name keeps their memory.
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