The history of Palace Archa is very colorful and unique, though perhaps a bit unjustly neglected building in the heart of Prague. We want to tell you a little more about the venue where you can find designSUPERMARKET during the festival and give you a little something to look forward to. You will be able to see some of these beautiful spaces when visiting this designSUPERMARKET.

Two adjacent buildings on Porici street were originally built as Czechoslovak Legions Bank in 1921-39. The first was built in 1921-23, now known as Legiobank. The building was designed by famous architect Josef Gočár in rondocubism style.

To collaborate on a Legiobank Gocar invited his friends and great artists: Jan Štursa, the author of four sculptures of legionnaires stationed at the main entrance, Otto Gutfreund, who created the second floor windowsill relief Return of the legions and Frantisek Kysela, who is the author of interior mural decoration and stained glass dome over the banking hall.

Legiobank did very well, and so in 1937-38 it had built a new building in the neighborhood of the first one - a modern building in functionalist style by architect Frantisek Marek, that is interlinked with Gocar’s rondo-cubist building. The second building is called The Golden Spike, which is related to the second floor, decorated with wrought-cob motif designed by Josef Kaplicky.

In 1990 the both buildings were bought by CSOB and undergone a  magnificent restoration. The restoration, which took place in 1991-94 was designed by architect Adalbert Obadálka. At the same time the basement was renovated  into a theater to become one of the most modernly-designed theater spaces late 20th century in our country - Archa Theatre.