The Neo-Renaissance building of Prague Rudolfinum has not yet been duly appreciated in the history of European architecture in spite of the fact that this building got ahead of others of the kind by almost a century by its design as a multi-purpose cultural center.

The "Na Rejdišti" site - the present location of the Rudolfinum, was originally used for commercial purposes. In the early seventies of the 19th century Česká spořitelna (The Czech Savings Bank) bought the site and in 1874 the management decided to utilize it for building Dům umělců (the House of Artists) at their own cost as part of the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of its foundation. In 1874 the Czech Savings Bank invited architects to participate in a public open competition for the design of the building that was to house a concert hall and exhibition halls under one roof.