<p>Zlatý Anděl has been a dominant feature of Prague's Smíchov for a quarter of a century.</p>

Prague – Prague has very few significant buildings of modern architecture, and globally recognized architects are active here sporadically. One of the exceptions is the commercial administrative center Golden Angel in Smíchov, which will celebrate 25 years since its opening on November 2.

The multifunctional building and new landmark of Smíchov was designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, who gained fame primarily for his projects such as the Arab Institute in Paris (1987), the residence of the Cartier Foundation in Paris (1994), and the Opera in Lyon (1993). The Golden Angel has also received recognition, having been named the Czech Building of the Year in September 2001. Like most modern buildings in the Czech Republic, this structure featuring excerpts from works by Kafka, Rilke, or Orten on its glass facade is not universally accepted.

"It's a decent building, but it lacked funding, and it shows. Nouvel has done better things," said architectural historian Zdeněk Lukeš, for example.

Among the small group of Prague buildings conceived by world-renowned architects are the work of American architect Frank O. Gehry, the Dancing House (1996), or Corso Karlín (2001), which comes from the studio of Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill, as well as the administrative building Masaryčka (2024) from the studio of the famous Zaha Hadid.