Glass sculpture of René, official mascot of the Czech Pavilion

At the culmination of the visitors’ journey lies the linking element between history and the Czech glassmaking tradition in the context of the World Expo exhibitions. Alongside two latest technologies of contemporary glass design, the last niche presents an original sculpture by René Roubíček. The organic shape of an unknown creature was created in 1960 and now it represents the Czech Pavilion as its mascot under the name René.

René Roubíček (1922–2018) was one of the leading representatives of the famous tradition of Czech glassmaking. His spatial and dimensional abstract compositions, combining metal and glass, caused a sensation at the Expo 1958 in Brussels. Subsequently, Roubíček won the Grand Prix Expo award. Together with other prominent personalities of the Czechoslovak art scene, such as Karel Malich, Stanislav Kolíbal, Stanislav Libenský and Jaroslava Brychtová, he also participated in the Expo at Osaka in 1970.

The niche with sculptures by Alfons Mucha and René Roubíček features original graphic art by Kristýna Kulíková rendered with the high-tech Wall-ink digital print technology.