World-famous concert hall and home of the Czech Philharmonic, which performed here for the first time in 1896 under the baton of Antonín Dvořák. The neo-Renaissance building was built from 1876 to 1884. Originally it had a picture gallery, museum collections and a concert hall; from 1918-1938 and 1945-1946 it served as the National Assembly building. The main hall - Dvořák Hall - is the venue for exceptional concerts of classical music.Rudolfinum is one of the most significant buildings of Bohemian new-Renaissance architecture. It is a joint work of prominent Bohemian architects of the second half of the 19th century, architect Josef Zítek (he built the National theatre) and architect Josef Schulz (he built the National museum). The object was built at the expense of Česká spořitelna, back then a German institute named Böhmische Sparkasse, the representatives of which decided to celebrate the 50th anniversary of establishment of this oldest financial institute in Prague by building a magnificent seat for the arts. The institute's representatives asked the then crown prince (archduke) Rudolf for permission to name the building after him, Rudolfinum. When the Czechoslovak republic was established, and namely after World War II, the building got a new name, the House of the Artists (Dům umělců), which was more acceptable for that time. Today, the old short name Rudolfinum is put back in place, and is also inscribed on the memorial plaques inside the building.