Monumental, striking, controversial. What does Brutalism mean in architecture? The term itself comes from the Frenchbéton brut, meaning raw concrete—function elevated to both a conceptual and aesthetic cornerstone. While the global movement peaked in the 1950s and ’60s, Prague embraced Brutalism a decade later. It was in the late 1960s that some of the most talented Czech architects began to realize works inspired by creative residencies abroad. A defining yet often overlooked element of these public buildings was the mandatory incorporation of art. Stone or glass sculptures, mosaics, reliefs, tapestries, and extraordinarily bold chandeliers—often impossible to replicate today—brought softness and intimacy to otherwise austere architecture. These artistic accents, both in material and concept, offered a vital counterbalance to the starkness of the structures.

We found works whose energy could still, even today, harmonize the mass of a monumental concrete building in the hands of three sculptors: Pavlína Kvita, Tereza Štětinová, and Ema Kissová. In exploring the connection between past and present creation, one of the artists, Tereza Štětinová, reflects on the theme with these words:

“Brutalist architecture was bold. Abstract sculpture offered a kind of release from the constraints of socialist realism. For many sculptors, it became a way to create formally compelling works without an overt political context. There was freedom in abstraction and stylization—one that was often placed in direct contrast to those monumental concrete architectural achievements… I often work with heavy, dense materials. I abstract the human form and push beyond the limits of reality.”

Set out to discover and admire these works in our “window” galleries—where significant brutalist buildings serve as the perfect architectural backdrop.