Praha is finalizing the study and the competition assignment for the building for Epopej

Prague - The Prague Institute of Planning and Development (IPR) will soon submit an urban planning study for the development of Těšnov to the city council. IPR spokesman Marek Vácha told ČTK. The study is the first step towards announcing an international architectural competition for the construction of a new gallery, where the city plans to place the Slav Epic by Alfons Mucha. The assignment for the architectural competition, including the schedule, should also be completed by the end of August, and the councilors could discuss it in early September.

The councilors tasked the institute with the preparation of the study this June. According to the spokesman, IPR will submit the study to the city council next week when the assignment for the competition, prepared by the city council's strategic investments department, should also be completed. The details of the assignment are not yet known. The study addresses the future layout and form of public spaces, construction, and transportation infrastructure. The Denis Station stood on Těšnov until 1985 when the building was demolished.

The city councilors decided on the future location of the building for the Slav Epic at Těšnov earlier this spring. Alfons Mucha dedicated the cycle of paintings to Prague on the condition that the city builds a suitable building for its exhibition. Discussions about a possible construction have been ongoing for several years; in the past, proposals to place the gallery at the exhibition grounds were made. Last year, Prague 3 established a foundation to support the construction on the Vítkov hill between Žižkov and Karlín.

Mucha painted the Slav Epic at Zbiroh Castle for a total of 18 years starting in 1910. It consists of 20 large-scale paintings inspired by Slavic mythology and the history of the Czech nation. The Epic has been listed as a cultural monument since 2010. From January to June this year, the cycle was exhibited in Tokyo, where it was seen by around 662,000 viewers. It is unclear whether it will be loaned to other cities.