Štvanice Power Station

On the western tip of one of the oldest islands in Prague stands a striking industrial building in the Art-nouveau style. It is a building with a cupola built in the year 1903–1914 to serve as a low-pressure run-of-the-river hydroelectric power station. The architect, Alois Dlabač, took the inspiration from the motifs of French castle architecture. The dominant feature of the building is the four-sided and 22 meter high tower, crowned by a circular cupola. The four-meter water level difference of the Helmovsky weir was utilized during the construction of the power station facility. Originally the power station was using three Francis turbines built by the company Kolben and Danek. One of the turbines is now exhibited in the gardens outside the premises. In the year 1973 the plant was shut down due to its significant wear and the penstock pipes were sealed with concrete – it was the last hydroelectric power station on the Vltava river. In the years 1984–1987 it was reconstructed and in 1988, after a year-long test run, it was put into full use again.