ARZENAL Enchanting Prague: the Golem, the Charles bridge, the castle. It is natural to wonder whether between Boemia crystals and antiques shops there is space for anything else in this city. Walking on the streets of Stare Mesto, at the borders of the Jewish ghetto, in the amazing overlapping of history and different eras, the presence of Arzenal is surprising. It is a place where crystals are the outstanding element, like in the typical Czech tradition, but in a great combination of tradition and design which is not folkloristic at all. Arzenal is much more than a shop and than a restaurant: it proposes itself as a Cross Culture Junction and among crystals introduces furniture and the objects by the most famous Czech architect, Borek Sipek, the unusual clothes by Yoshika Hishinuma and two restaurants, one Japanese and the other one Thai. Sipek is the one who not only created the objects and the space project, but also the philosophy of the place, with a particular attention to the smallest details, from the choice of the Eastern music to the exotic handicrafts collected by himself during many travels. The project of the space, characterised by astonishing views of different areas and by the recurring presence of the blue in the whole place, is consistently linked to the exposed objects. In such an atmosphere that links the design research to the searching of spirituality and peacefulness, you can freely turn your eyes around strolling through the different environments which constitute Arzenal. You can eat in the two restaurants sitting on the chairs which are sold in the shop, using cutlery, dishes, and glasses designed by Sipek himself, before deciding whether it is worth buying a set to take home. ARZENAL a.s. Valentinska 11/56 100 01 - Praha 1 - Czech Republic Tel +420 (2) 24817479 Fax +420 (2) 24810722 E-mail: galerie@arzenal.cz

Text by: Gloria Refini I. II. III. IV. V. In cooperation with: M.Angeles Fernández Alvarez TOP