Not only this but many other delicacies are on offer, for example a chocolate fondant covered in marzipan with dried plum sauce marinated in Port wine, a selection of pancakes and cakes are offered by Grand Café Orient on its firs floor. The café has been restored into its original shape by the project of Josef Gočár. He projected the house on the crossing of Ovocný trh and Celetná it was commissioned by the wholesale merchant František J. Herbst. In was built with a cubist ground plane in the year 1912 after the demolition of a baroque house bearing the same name against which many people protested at that time. Besides the name, the modern style house also took over the original house insignia, namely the baroque statuette of Madonna with a child in her arms. Its copy, created by the Academy of Fine Arts, has been placed on the corner of the house in the first floor.
Originally, the house used to serve several purposes: in the basement there used to be a wine cellar, on the first floor, the above mentioned café. The second floor was meant for textile and clothes shops, the third floor was reserved for offices, and the fourth floor for the apartment and office of the housekeeper, on the fifth floor there used to be a storage room, attic and a laundry room. After the First World War, both the café and the shops were replaced by a bank and after the year 1948 the national enterprise Výstavnictví was seated here.
Early in the 1990´s a reconstruction, which showed the cubist architecture in its full beauty, took place and thanks to this, the style got into the awareness of even higher number of people. On its premises both the well known café in Gočár´s style was restored and an exhibition introducing a slice Czech cubism, it includes: applied art, paintings, sculptures, furniture and architectural models. Plans between the years 1911 and 1919, were placed on upper floors. The works of Janák, Gutfreund, Filla and many other personalities of this era can be encountered here. Also a glass roof designed by Gočár himself which had never been carried out was finished. The roof beautifully illuminates the extant railing which thanks to its innovative design casts interesting shadows on the white walls.
The shape of the house with its distinctive porch and façade is not only valued for the courage of the designer but also for the sensitivity with which the house was placed between the other historic buildings of the old Prague.
The café itself is reminiscent of the times of its former glory which lasted only briefly. After ten years in business the café was closed in the 1920´s, possibly due to the transient nature of the cubist style. Fortunately, at least a few photos were preserved according to which it was possible to renew the interior including the chandeliers and other details.
In the midst of this bustling tourist center sparkles a jewel of modern architecture of the early 20´s century, somewhere to pleasantly refresh your body and mind.
Sources: Klub za starou Prahu, www.architekt.cz