Wilsonovo Station

The main rail station in Prague was constructed in 1871 under Austrian rule as Franz Josef Station. That Neo-Renaissance building lacked capacity and was replaced by a new Art Nouveau structure that was built between 1901 and 1909, one of the largest in the world in that style at the time. The main entrance hall was constructed in the shape of a horseshoe dominated by two prominent towers, each topped by glass domes. The interior featured ornate statues and murals under a considerable dome. After the First Czechoslovak Republic was declared in 1918 the station was renamed Wilsonovo nádraží in honor of U.S. President Woodrow Wilson. During 1922 the Czech Astronomical Society set up shop in one of the towers but soon found smoke from the locomotives made their work difficult and they soon sought other accommodations.