Expo 58 Restaurant

In the lush green space that is Letna Park you will find a most interesting and simply put, magical building. The Expo 58 Restaurant was designed by Frantisek Cubr, Josef Hruby and Zdenek Pokorny for the Expo 58 Brussels World’s Fair and helped to bring international fame and respect to the Czechoslovak Pavilion, which ended up winning the sought after award for best pavilion. The building was disassembled after the fair and brought back to Prague and placed in Letna Park where it opened for business in 1961 becoming not only a source of national pride but also a symbol of the 1960s. It is interesting to note that the building’s location in Letna Park hovers over a Baroque cellar with cross vaults from the 17th century. The Expo 58 Restaurant operated as a restaurant until 1990 when it became Expo 58 Casino, after which the architectural gem became the center of a buyer’s battle between the city of Prague and private investors. The city of Prague and especially the former minister of culture Pavel Dostal wished to secure its historical importance and protect the building while private companies wanted the restaurant for its lucrative land. In the end the highest bidder turned the restaurant into an office complex for an advertising agency and made some renovations not according to the original architectural plan. Fortunately the building was not demolished and still holds it significant modern charm.  

Bruselský pavilon - restaurace, Letenské sady 1500/80, Praha 7.