Meziměstská telefonní ústředna, Art Deco telephone exchange in Žižkov, Prague, Czech Republic.
Meziměstská telefonní ústředna is a former long-distance telephone exchange in the Žižkov district of Prague 3, now listed as a cultural monument of the Czech Republic. The main body rises four stories high, flanked by two six-story corner towers with irregular polygonal roofs and stone sculptures on the facade.
The building was designed by architect Bohumír Kozák and completed in 1926 to handle long-distance telephone traffic for Prague. It remained in active use for several decades before going out of service in 1979.
The sculpted figures on the facade were a deliberate choice to give a technical building a human face, which was unusual for a structure of this type. Looking closely at the stonework, visitors can spot decorative motifs that echo the geometric style common in Prague's public buildings of the 1920s.
The building is best seen from the street, as interior access is not normally available since it has been out of use for decades. Walking around the block gives a good view of all four facades and the corner towers.
In 1928, this exchange handled the first international telephone calls between Czechoslovakia and other countries, making it a small but real part of early European telecom history. Despite this, the building receives little attention compared to Žižkov's more visited landmarks.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
