The Legion Banka (Legionářská banka, or Legiobanka for short) is one of Prague’s most unusual pieces of corporate architecture by the great Czech modern architect Josef Gočár. He is best known for the classic Cubist House of the Black Madonna on Celetná, which was completed in 1912. A Rondo-Cubist building from the early 1920s boasts a striking white marble frieze by Otto Gutfreund, depicting the epic march across Siberia undertaken by the Czechoslovak Legion and their embroilment in the Russian Revolution, set into the bold smoky-red moulding of the facade. Meanwhile, the interior has elements of Art Deco and furniture by Gočár, as well as a small fountain that is calming, especially if you have to wait a while for service at the bank. You’re free to wander during bank business hours into the main banking hall on the ground floor, which retains its curved glass roof and distinctive red-and-white marble patterning. The building is now a branch of the high-street ČSOB bank.
Address: Na poříčí 24, Prague 1
