Prague’s old-new tourist attraction: the Book Tower

It was through TikTok videos that Matěj Krén’s Idiom, in the Municipal Library of Prague, became famous.

The Czech capital’s old-new tourist attraction has been around for twenty-five years. The circular structure of eight thousand books was created by Slovak artist Matěj Krén in 1998 to mark the opening of the building after a three-year renovation. The mirrors inside give the impression that the column is infinite.

@yovoyviajando ¡Espera hasta el final del vídeo!😊 La obra se llama IDIOM, su creador fue el eslovaco Matej Krén, y lleva en Praga desde 1998. Está formada 8000 libros, al asomarte verás que hay un espejo en la parte de arriba y otro abajo, eso produce ese efecto de “infinito”. Se sitúa en la entrada de la Biblioteca Municipal, en pleno centro de Praga. Pero por favor, si vais a visitarla, guardad respeto por la escultura y silencio por el lugar en el que estáis. 🙏🏼 #praga #republicacheca #viajes #fyp #viajar #turismo #travel ♬ Otra Vez - Aitana

Also known as the Column of Knowledge, the work has recently become a hit on TikTok, with videos of it reaching millions of views. At the end of last year, for example, dozens of tourists queued outside the library to see Krén’s book tower.

Source: expats.cz
Cover photo: carriekizuka.com

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