Slovanský dům, Cultural monument in New Town, Czech Republic
Slovanský dům is a complex on Na Příkopě in Prague's New Town, centred on the former Vernier Palace, a Baroque building of around 1697 rebuilt in classicist style in 1797 by František Heger. Its façade faces the Czech National Bank, and a passage leads through the courtyard to Senovážné náměstí, past offices, shops, restaurants and a ten-screen cinema.
The structure was built in the second half of the 1800s as an important gathering place for a specific community in Prague. After World War II, its purpose changed and it was later redeveloped to serve mixed uses.
The name dates from 1945, when the German House became Slovanský dům. From 1875 to 1945 the German Casino association ran it as Deutsches Kasino, with restaurants, gaming rooms and a bowling alley; a Concordia society of German writers and artists also had its seat here. In the 1970s a wine bar called Svíčkárna operated in the building.
Na Příkopě runs between the Old Town and New Town, so the palace stands in the New Town, next to the Czech National Bank. A passage through the complex leads from Na Příkopě to Senovážné náměstí, giving a second exit. The ten-screen multiplex opened on 6 December 2000 with the premiere of Brabec's Kytice.
The Mirror Hall inside was installed in the early 1870s as an architectural highlight and originally featured gas lighting. The lighting was later upgraded to electricity, reflecting the building's technological progress over time.
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