School Days

Would you have guessed that these doors are to a school? I'm not sure if I would have, though there is something about it that does suggest that they are there to welcome many people. Perhaps the fact that they are white made me think of an old hospital entrance...that and the lady over the door.

But a school it is. Actually, these are the doors to a language school for kids up to the age of about 11 years. They must expect some very tall kids...look how tall those doors are!!

I like all the small windows in these doors as well as the stained glass over the doors and, of course, the sweet, innocent face with the large bow that watches over and protects this door. The wrought-iron gate is, in my opinion, a bit out of place...I'm not fond of the design, but that is just me. What you can't see very well is the frame which has some lovely relief work.

OK, so this isn't a terribly exciting door, but it is a nice door and it deserves being introduced to more people than just the kids and their parents that walk through it. And just one last thought...do you suppose the white color of this door has anything to do with the age of the students...young and fresh and looking at the world as their blank slate?? (or computer screen as they may actually see their world!)

Art Deco's Clean Lines

As I have mentioned numerous times in the past, I am a huge fan of Art Nouveau. Oddly though, I am not that big of a fan of Art Deco which is, in fact, a period that slightly overlapped Art Nouveau's last few years. Where Art Nouveau was romantic and flourishing; flowing and elegant, Art Deco is hard and geometric, bold and serious. Some people like these traits in Art Deco...I am not one of them, but even if they are interesting to look at or offer elements that capture the eye, I find the style - as a whole - too septic.

That being said, I can't deny that there are occasional Art Deco items that I find interesting to look at. Take, for example, this door and it's frame. Alone, each of these elements is at most "interesting".

But what 'sells' this door for me was the combination of the door, it's frame and the gate. The doors alone have an attractive simplicity: they are made of an appealingly warm wood and they contain elegant beveled glass windows. The ample glass surface on the door partially reflects the impressive size of the gate and what happens in front of this door. The pretty baubles on the arch overhead are just the icing on the cake.

The wrought-iron gate is simple in its design and takes advantage of the technique of using a repetition of circles and squares. The overhead arched frame contains the period's copyright colours (blue and green).

Peaceful

Some doors, simply because of the way they look, have the ability to make me feel at peace when I look at them. Perhaps this sensation is some kind of reaction to the fact that the door seems at peace with its environment and those that enter into it. When I say this, I mean not only does the door appear loved and appreciated (there is no damage to it e.g. graphitti), but the actually shape of the door, the materials that it is made of and the ornamentation give it a peaceful feel.

Wouldn't you enjoy walking through this beautiful door each day? I would! Whether it would be to go to a job or to go to and from home...just passing through this old arch and touching this well-loved door would make my day. Just imagine what this door has seen. What it has lived. What it survived. What about all the people who have walked through this door and under this arch...all the hands that have touched this door...each one leaving a bit of themself on it be it an ever-so-faint trace.

The handle is very likely not the door's original one, but at least it does go with the door. It is simple and doesn't take away from the carvings on the door. It is small and delicate just like the door is. I suspect that the original handle was probably not very different from this one.

Knobby

OK, so this door isn't in perfect shape, but you can't disagree that it is a really cool door. Seriously, look at it...see all those little knobby things all over it? Are they not interesting? You could appreciate this door even if you couldn't actually see it...all you would have to do is run your hands over it. And all those textures allow your eyes to feel the door without even having to touch it with your hands.

No one will disagree that this door needs a bit of t.l.c., but compared to a lot of the other doors in this city, it looks pretty good considering not only the damage from time and weather, but you can see that it has also managed to escape (so far) the loathsome spray painters. If I am allowed one gripe, I would say that I'm disappointed a bit about the door handle because in my opinion it looks rather common and definitely does not have the character that a door like this deserves in a door handle. Otherwise though, I think this door and all its parts are a real treat to look at. The wrought-iron work is delicate, intricate, unique and appears to be sufficiently solid. The style of door makes me think of a door from a city much, much farther south than Prague, but maybe one of you knows more about this than I do. If so, please do tell!!

A last item that I find worth mentioning about this door is the two flowering plants hanging on either side of the door...their presence makes the door approachable and even a bit light-hearted. Actually, I have to admit that every time I see this door I smile...it offers the admirer so much to appreciate that one can't help but smile when they see it.

Sandwiches for Sale

You are probably thinking I've lost my mind having put such an odd title for this door, but believe it or not, next to the door there is a rather large sign that says just that 'Prodej Baget' - Sandwiches for Sale!!

Perhaps they do sell sandwiches there, but what is really behind this door is a school. As you may have guessed, we are looking at yet another building that was built for the church, evident by the religious sculptures above the door. A bird's eye view of this building would show you that it is part of a church complex where the main church entrance is on Narodni Street (and is just a few doors up from the National Theatre). This entrance is on a side street, and may or may not still have access to the rest of the church complex, but I don't know. As I have mentioned and shown before, there are so many (and I do not exaggerate) buildings and complexes that belong or used to belong to the church, it is hard for the man (or woman!) on the street to attain any-on-the-spot information on these less important buildings. What we can do is look at what is in front of us and appreciate it or not.

As for the door itself, I do like it despite it's apparent use (and some abuse), but I am wondering if it isn't relatively new. It has a nice 'chatting-grill', a simple, but not awful handle and has metal pegs in wood which I always like, but if you look at the style of the door and compare it to the style of the ornate statues above (and with the columns on each side of the door), it just seems out of place. One thing the door does do is with the aid of the inverted V slats on it it manages to send the eye upwards...towards the cherubs, the ladies, the bishop and the Madonna and Child. I just feel there is so much richness above and around the door that one of those metal-fronted doors that we have seen on other church buildings (for example see here) would be more appropriate.

Circles and Swirls

So maybe you are asking yourself (and me via the computer screen) where all those fabulous, incredible Prague doors are. Well, don't worry, we'll get to more of those soon, but before we do, there are a lot of doors that may not look perfect, but are surely worthy of being given their day (or two) here on my humble blog. Why? Because the doors that I'm talking about are also fabulous and because there is a whole army of them, there are plenty to share with you. These are doors that are on side streets or back streets or in other parts of town (rather than smack in the centre). These doors receive little consideration and admiration. In silence (or, perhaps a bit of rusty squeakiness!!) they hold the cold out and the warm in; they keep the things behind them protected not only from the elements, but from certain unkindnesses of this world.

Here is such a door. A wonderful example of Art Nouveau. It is looking lovely for those who have the eyes to see it's beauty; smiling at those who have the spirit to feel it's kindness; and being strong for those who believe in their hearts that a door is not just a collection of wood and metal, but a force that uses it's combined energies to protect the occupants of the house to which it has been given the duty of guarding.

This door has pride despite the fact that it's owners lack the ability to show it kindness. Small things like destroying the door's center line will not ruin the heart of the door, but it does make a heart sad.

At least the flowers, circles and swirls in the wood, the wrought-iron and in the stone-work above the door have survived. In fact, they seem almost determined not to be bothered by whatever life throws at them...they remain strong, beautiful and intact. Bravo beautiful door, bravo!!

Worthy

This door has suffered time, man and nature. We've seen this before (far worse than this!) and we'll see it many times again. This rather simple, but potentially beautiful door could, with a good sanding and a coat or two of varnish, again be something wonderful. Afterall, it has all the elements ...beautiful wood, great door accessories and an interesting stone doorframe. This poor guy (yes, this door has now been elevated to the status of deserving a gender, even if, in Czech, the word for door - dveře - is neutral!) is just there begging to get a bit of attention so that he can once again smile the strong, proud smile of a worthy door.

Vysehrad

It's perhaps a sad truth, but most of us are creatures of habit (well, perhaps not everyone is, but I think most of us are)...I am no exception to this rule. For example, in general, I tend to gravitate towards the centre of Prague within a certain radius of the Charles Bridge, but now that we have a dog, I have found myself trying to find new places (new to me, that is!) where there are also large green spaces as well. On one such occasion, my husband (a native Pragois) decided to take a walk in Vysehrad. Well, if any of you know Prague (and many of you certainly do!), Vysehrad is not just an area, but to be precise, it is the second castle in Prague. Until now (and even still) I have only made short visits to Vysehrad and all that is encompassed in castle's walls...which is A LOT! Vysehrad isn't far from Prague...it is right inside of it!! I have always thought of Vysehrad as the lesser sister of the two castles in this city since it doesn't receive the same recognition that the Prague Castle does (I guess having the president and the government there makes a difference), but that doesn't mean it is less interesting. It is very interesting, but in an entirely different way. I won't go into detail on that, but I will show you some photos of a small chapel that is in the castle grounds. The chapel/rotunda is interesting in itself, but it is, OF COURSE, the door that I was most interested in when the path I had taken lead me to it. A round building, a rounded door frame, round columns, lots of rounded shapes on and around the door...and look at that fabulous curvy wrought-iron work on the door...what spectacular hinges those are!! Wow, Wow and WOW!! One could say that all those loopty-loos and curly-cues might just be for decoration, but one could also think that maybe they were designed to help offer additional support for the door and even a bit of extra surface protection. Sure, the door is of wood, but with those hinges it might withstand a beating before giving in. Give into what? Well, churches have notoriously been sanctuaries for those seeking shelter...of all kinds. Maybe not so much today, but perhaps back when this building was initially constructed*.

*This chapel / rotunda is called Saint Martin and is the oldest of Prague's 3 surviving rotundas. It was probably built some time during the second half of the 11th century under the reign of the first king of Bohemia (yes, Prague is in Bohemia), King Vratislav.

Simple but Effective!

We could call this an 'Emily' door...it is small, has charm, pretty details and above all character!! I like this X-shaped nail (?) where the door is hinged and the handle is quite ornate (though I have to admit that this handle is a bit TOO ornate for my tastes on such a door). The repetitive pattern around the door's inner squares are nice and do I spot a peephole?

A Door; a Shutter or a Shutdoor?!!?

I had a bit of a laugh when I first saw this door. Perhaps you are having one now as you look at it. Isn't this a funny door....or whatever it can be called? All I can guess and certainly you might guess the same, is that this was some kind of a store at one time and the low wall served as part of the store's front and display area. It is nice that it has stayed this way if it really was once this. Luckily the door is rather high and the arch is a tight one because if it were lower and the arch was different, it might be painful to walk through this door if you aren't paying attention! I like this little door/whatever...it makes me think of a three-legged table or even one of those half tables that only have 2 legs because the table is supposed to be placed against the wall. This door has no handle, so I'm guessing that access to it is from a different entrance...nevertheless, a peephole does exist!! What a fun door!!

Beauty

On the street called Parizska (Paris Street), there are some very chic stores and in between them, some nice doors, some ok doors and some wonderful doors. This door and it's gate are what I consider members of that last group - wonderful doors!! Just look at this beautiful wrought-iron work....so rich, so elegant, so charming...it suits my tastes perfectly because it is beautiful without being too rich or too anything but, well, to repeat myself, charming!! Notice the little cut-out hearts at the bottom? (That's my new puppy Ellwood peeking through one.)

As for the door itself, it is of a caramel-coloured wood that is rich and friendly. It's simplicity invites you in and it's rounded windows are like delicate kisses to your eyelids. On the floor of the tiny 'foyer' between the gate and the door is a delicate mosaic of polished stones while on the walls a similar pattern repeats itself as a sort of garland of warmth enveloping the welcoming space before you actually enter into the building. You can certainly guess that I like this door/gate combination. Or did I already say that?

Waiting for Glory

If you take a walk around Prague, anywhere around the center, you will very probably come across one, if not several, buildings from the art nouveau period. Some of these buildings have been restored to impeccable beauty while others are waiting their turn to be brought back to their original glory. The building that owns this door is across the street from the Parliament Building so one would assume that it would be admired and respected, but helas such is not the case. Granted, the door is not in a state of decadence, but it isn't glowing in the glory of it's beauty either.

There are some very lovely details such as the sculptures over the door, the lamp, the leafy arch, the beautiful shape of the window over the door, the various elements on door which despite being simple, complete the overall look and feel of the ensemble.

Of course, the door's handle is the smallest detail that completes the art nouveau theme nicely. This is another door that I find truly beautiful...I do hope that one day it will be loved again and respected...and that someone will have the decency to at least move the garbage bins away from it!

Abandonned

Once upon a time, the man and woman standing over this door greeted many visitors daily to this grand turn-of-the-century building which housed the central post office for this part of Prague as well as the communications for much of the city. Now, the entire building lies empty and this door, which was once a main entrance, is shut and no one passes through it. Maybe one day people will once again use this warm, interesting door, but for now, it is there...alone...victim to the thoughtless, stupid acts of individuals who are unable to comprehend the value of something well-made and appreciable.

Though this is admittedly not from my favourite architectural period, I have to say in all fairness that I find all the elements of this door and its frame to be very agreeable..from the light fixtures above the door down to the round brass decorations on the door and, of course, the grills and the very simple, yet unique door handle.

Poor door, it needs to be loved...it wants to be loved...I do hope that one day again soon, it will find the love it deserves.

What??

From a distance, this door and it's arch and wrought-iron gate look really impressive and they are, but come in close and see some of the details that you might have missed when looking at the big picture...

A chain to keep the gate closed?

Two door handles (one old, one new)...is this a joke or what?!

But beyond those details, I do have to say that there are some nice things about this door. The lion's head carving is nice...

...as is the wrought-iron work that makes the gate...

...and the symbolism...a baby's head!!

The door itself is also interesting, but with all that is going on in front of it, it's a bit hard to focus just on the door!! It, too has a lot of style and the windows in it are quite interesting...just imagine how all of this would look if someone took the time to clean, repair and paint all of it. Wow!!