Church of the Sacred Heart

the long version

The Church of the Sacred Heart dominates a quiet green square in the Vinohrady quarter in Prague, and with its majestic presence securely anchors the borough into Prague's panorama. The building is a characteristic Plecnik work, synthesizing classical, Modernist, and traditional Slovenian elements to create a building of great architectural force. Externally the church is enclosed by dark brown brickwork punctuated at regular intervals with vertical rectangular slabs of grey granite; above the brick wall a totally different architecture of classical proportions appears, faced in white render. The massive 42-metre high clock and bell tower further adds to the contradictory nature of the church, and offers a further striking contrast with the simple interior.