The Square of Kříženecký was founded in 1947 in front of the film studios in Barrandov. Then it got its name, which has been valid till now. The square was named after the Czech architect and film-maker, Jan Kříženecký (1868-1921). The aforementioned was an excellent photographer and relation to his job of architect led the town archive to charge him with taking more than 4 000 photos, capturing the town shape. A unique collection, as it often shows the disappeared Prague, has been kept till nowadays. Jan Kříženecký became enthusiastic over the invention of cinematograph and he began to make films and show them by himself, both with great success. Quite rightly the square in front of the film studios in Barrandov is named after this Czech cinematography initiator.
The studios were, on the strength of brothers Miloš and Václav Havels and pursuant to design by arch. Max Urban, built in 1931-1933 and in later years they were further extended. Maybe all prominent Czech directors made their films there and the list of the foreign ones would be long as well. Filming continued even during the World War II, when the A-B company was transformed to company of Prag-Film. After 1990 disputes burst about next routing of the Barrandov studios. Finally, in the end of 2006 complex of three new soundproof film studios were opened in area of 4 000 m2, which makes them the biggest in Europe.
The southern side of the Square of Kříženecký is taken by the central building of the film studios with their high four-sided spire. The front wall of the tower is glazed and there are stairs inside, on which you may go upstairs straight to the roof, enclosed with hand-rails.
