The building was initiated in 1876 under the supervision of ing. The enclosed land plot spreads on 5,315 m2. The object was build on the land at Rejdiště, which has historically been a dump, then a wood storage, there used to be a lumber-mill and several other plants that were demolished. Today, the old short name Rudolfinum is put back in place, and is also inscribed on the memorial plaques inside the building. 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.
The institute's representatives asked the then crown prince (archduke) Rudolf for permission to name the building after him, Rudolfinum. 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 50 th anniversary of establishment of this oldest financial institute in Prague by building a magnificent seat for the arts.
It is a joint work of prominent Bohemian architects of the second half of the 19 th century, architect Josef Zítek (he built the National theatre) and architect Josef Schulz (he built the National museum). Rudolfinum is one of the most significant buildings of Bohemian new-Renaissance architecture.
