Cultivating
Prague

In recent years, Prague has been plagued by visual smog: flashy advertising, which is particularly ubiquitous in the city centre. And yet advertising does not have to be annoying and tasteless – a beautiful shop window or a company sign may increase the value of a location. The manual explains the rules for sophisticated advertising and shows examples of good practice.

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Cultivating<br />Prague

Introduction

The streets of the centre of Prague are almost indistinguishable from the streets of any other large Czech city. There are the same pub signs designed by breweries, the shining signs of banks and fast-food joints, and the same shop windows of real estate and travel agencies.

And yet there are few cities that boast such a wealth of different layers of architectural styles as Prague. Its uniqueness, however, is lost under the pile of uniform advertising. The people who can change this are primarily those who offer their goods or services in the historical parts of the city and are therefore part of the public space. And it is for those that we have written the Cultivating Prague.

Cultivating<br />Prague

About the Manual

The Manual contains a set of rules for how to promote your store or service visually while respecting the values of the historical city. At the same time, it is a clear guide that will help you make sense of the various regulations and successfully obtain all the necessary permits.

Download manual

The Cultivating Prague is a PDF file with a size of 7.8 MB.

What can you find in the Manual?

The Manual presents a summary of the requirements of the individual authorities that deal with store signage. These are, in particular, the Heritage Department and the Department of Trade Licence and Civil Law Issues at Prague City Hall. The Manual also lists the requirements of the Prague Building Code. Additional rules apply to real estate owned by the City of Prague and some of its City Districts.

Is the Manual binding?

The Manual in itself is not binding; it’s merely a summary of the existing rules. That is also why it can’t act as a substitute for decisions by the authorities – you always need to contact the heritage department and in some cases also the building authority. But if you follow the Manual, there should be no hidden surprises in the process.

Which parts of the city does the Manual apply to?

It applies to all protected heritage areas within Prague. The rules also apply to individual immovable cultural monuments outside the protected areas. We believe, however, that all of Prague deserves to be tasteful, and will be glad if you decide to follow the Manual even if you do not have to.

Grant programme

If you want to create new signage for your establishment in line with the Manual or if you are planning to follow the Manual while setting up a new establishment, we can offer you support in the form of a grant.

You can apply for a grant from the Prague Conservation Area Establishment Signage Programme, amounting to up to 70% of your costs or a maximum of CZK 200,000. The grant can be applied only to works commenced, carried out and finished in the current year.

All information about the Programme is available on the website of the Heritage Department of Prague City Hall.

Grant programme

Prague is not Disneyland

We live in an exceptional city. The City of Prague is a thousand years old and its enchanting vistas, old palaces and historical gardens have made it one of the most popular tourist destinations worldwide.

Tourism, however, also has its downsides. Visitors have always been drawn to Prague because of cheap alcohol, which made it one of Europe’s most popular party towns. The influx of tourists attracts entrepreneurs who just want to get rich and do not care how their business might affect the city.

Prague is not Disneyland

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, everything is suddenly different. But we must get ready for the tourists’ eventual return and it remains our goal to reduce the negative phenomena which, during the tourist season, make the centre of Prague feel more like Disneyland than a historical city. What have we done so far to make Prague look better?

Beer bikes

The large mobile bars full of inebriated bikers which until recently roamed the city centre and its environs are now all gone. The noisy vehicles have been banned from the city centre since March 2020.

High-quality tourism

Tourists coming to Prague often don’t know how to behave here, something which was also confirmed by a sociological survey. That’s why we launched an informational campaign which teaches tourists that quiet hours start at 10:00 p.m. and that it’s not allowed to drink alcohol in the streets. We’re currently trying to ensure that after the coronavirus break, tourism in Prague will have a new and more sustainable character.

Advertising regulations

Prague City Hall regularly checks whether its Advertising Regulations are being complied with. Last year, we identified and resolved more than 300 violations of the regulations.

Pandas and moles

There used to be droves of them on the Old Town Square, but today there’s not a single one to be seen. The presence of performers dressed in oversized costumes was banned by a decree.

Fake vintage cars

Did you know that the centre of Prague is full of tractors and snowmobiles? Many self-proclaimed “vintage cars” have papers saying they’re something quite different than what they seem. These vehicles, which charge about CZK 3,000 per hour, are now regularly checked and many of them have already been banned from the city centre.

Rules for establishments in city-owned property

When it comes to visual smog, it’s important to set an example. That’s why we have defined rules for advertising signage for establishments in city-owned non-residential property. The city will also not rent any of its property to exchange offices, souvenir shops and other establishments focusing on cheap tourism.

Support for high-quality busking

Prague appreciates good street entertainment, but also wants to ensure it does not disturb the inhabitants. That’s why we specified the rules for artists, who are now not allowed to generate excessive noise, dirt or odours. As a new development, however, we have relaxed the rules to allow productions by art ensembles and bands.

Inspiration

One of the iconic shop windows of Prague in the time of the First Republic: the Josef Vilímek bookshop at building No. 59 on Národní třída (now the Václav Špála Gallery). The design is by the architect and graphic artist František Zelenka. 1938. Photo: IPR Prague Archives At night, Vilímek's bookshop was lit up with a legendary neon sculpture. Photo: IPR Prague Archives Some of the architects active in the interwar era focused mainly on the design of doorways and shop windows. One of them was Franz Hruschka, creator of the Hainz shop window at building No. 483, “U Zlatého velblouda” on the Old Town Square. 1936. Photo: IPR Prague Archives Or the Orion shop as well, at building No. 756 on Lidická. 1936. Photo: IPR Prague Archives Hruschka also designed the Vedral shop in the “U Samuela” building. Through the undisturbed glass surface of the shop window, you can see the vaulted ceiling, while the sophisticated lighting adds a touch of flair. Na Můstku, building No. 382, 1934. Photo: IPR Prague Archives Further proof that less is sometimes more – the Sbor doorway in the Diamant building, at No. 841 on Wenceslas Square, again by Franz Hruschka. 1935. Photo: IPR Prague Archives Building No. 114 on Spálená, architect Ferdinand Fenc. 1935. Photo: IPR Prague Archives The neon sign at Efraim Löbl's department store was one of the most famous: "Pešánek's advertisement on Löbl's department store is a new independent expression of an artistically felt accord of luminous kinetics," they wrote at the time in the press. Building No. 388 on Na Můstku (on the site of today's ČKD building), Zdeněk Pešánek, 1933. Photo: IPR Prague Archives Adria Palace, portals for the Josef Barhoň company – nowadays the glass surfaces are covered in coloured decals. 1936. Photo: IPR Prague Archives Skořepa’s “U Zlatého Tygra” Pilsner beer hall is a regular pub with an unusual company sign. Both have survived almost unchanged to this day. U Zlatého tygra, building No. 228 on Husova. An uncovered late Gothic doorway and above it a newly installed plaque with a sculpture of a tiger, 1935. Photo: City of Prague Archives The famous ARA Palace. The only signage is the three neon letters on the roof. Architect Milan Babuška, building No. 371 on Perlová in the Old Town, 1933. Photo: City of Prague Archives A passage in the same house 55 years later, by which time it was the Perla Department Store. No decals obscure the shop windows. 1988. Photo: City of Prague Archives Passage in the Union of Czechoslovak Works building. Nowadays, the upper section of the shop window is usually used for full-cover decals. The historical picture shows that it does not have to be this way. It makes the shop look far more exclusive. Building No. 38 on Národní třída, Oldřich Starý, 1937. Photo: IPR Prague Archives A simple establishment with a simply nice sign. Building No. 325 on Primátorská, Camill Zupanc, 1933. Photo: IPR Prague Archives Art Nouveau building No. 1011, on Národní třída. The company sign is concise. You won't read how much a chicken breast costs on this façade. 1949. Photo: IPR Prague Archives The Black Brewery on Charles Square had a bustling shop front with various establishments, but all in a uniform design. The way it used to be. Design by Ladislav Machoň, 1935. Photo: IPR Prague Archives Building No. 309 on Londýnská – brief and to the point, but nothing else is needed. Architect František A. Libra, 1936. Photo: IPR Prague Archives The street now known as Milady Horákové was once full of small establishments. However, even shops with ordinary goods could have elegant advertising signage – the designer of the shop front for the white building in the middle (Books Paper Maps Radio) was probably Franz Hruschka. 1935. Photo: IPR Prague Archives However, the First Republic was not just an era of stylish shop windows and doorways… View of building No. 310 (U Šálků brewery) on the corner of Charles Square and Resslova, 1938. Photo: City of Prague Archives Above the sophisticated shop window for Vlnoklub by František Zelenka we can find one of the first decals… Na Příkopě, building No. 850. 1936. Photo: IPR Prague Archives Numerous signs and posters were also a part of old Prague. Visual smog is not just a modern issue. In old photographs, however, it seems more picturesque than aggressive… The Waltrova mlékárna dairy on Masná, building No. 618, did not try to draw much attention to itself. Maybe the smell of bread was enough. Photo: City of Prague Archives Regular buildings on Nekázanka. 1940. Photo: IPR Prague Archives A unified approach to the shop fronts for the buildings U Bílků, No. 379, and U Zlaté lodi, No. 380, on Na Můstku, 1935. Photo: IPR Prague Archives The hustle and bustle of the big city – a view of Národní třída with the U Choděrů restaurant and the Union café. 1934. Photo: IPR Prague Archives The Trade Fair Palace at a time when it still looked like a large commercial palace; from the street, amongst other things, it presented itself with unrestrained advertising. The architecture of Josef Fuchs and Oldřich Tyl, however, perhaps put up with it better than the modern fondness for blinding windows. 1936. Photo: IPR Prague Archives The same spontaneity was also evident inside. 1936. Photo: IPR Prague Archives And finally, a look into the even more distant past – Józa Jarolímková’s haberdashery shop opposite Marjánka, in Břevnov, 1896. Photo: City of Prague Archives And a memory of Czech-German Prague. The Wolf and Schleim department store, building No. 401, Rytířská. Photo: City of Prague Archives
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Contact

Anything you’re not clear about? Do you want to consult the signage of your shop with us?

posta@praha.eu

For personal consultations, visit the Heritage Department of Prague City Hall any Monday (10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) or Wednesday (8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.) at the Škoda Palace, Jungmannova 35/29, Prague 1.

Do you want to report illegal advertising near you?

Use the zmente.to app or send an email to vizualni.smog@praha.eu.