The architectural competition for the exhibitions of the National Museum is being prepared

Prague - Representatives of the National Museum in Prague (NM) today handed over a symbolic key to the historic building to the winner of the tender for its reconstruction - the M-P-I Association National Museum, whose members are Metrostav, Průmstav, and IMOS Brno. The ceremonial act in the Pantheon of the nearly four-year-empty building was initiated by the museum's general director, Michal Lukeš. He welcomed Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka and Minister of Culture Daniel Herman.
    The consortium won the selection process with a bid price of 1.352 billion crowns excluding VAT. The reconstruction is expected to last 42 months. The building is to be handed over to the museum in mid-October 2018, although it will be without exhibitions. The museum is currently announcing a public architectural competition for them - 483 million crowns have been allocated for it. Lukeš wants to discuss the possibility of shortening the deadline, but not at any cost.
    Prime Minister Sobotka said today that the National Museum was established in the 19th century as an expression of the strengthened identity of the Czech nation; the museum and “our entire culture” deserve for the historic building of the institution to be reconstructed. Minister Herman added that after the reconstruction, the exhibition space will be increased, and there will be more exhibitions, among others, thanks to the roofing of the courtyard. He hopes that the building can be handed back into use after the completed reconstruction in 2018, marking 200 years since the founding of the National Museum.
    Petr Zábský, a representative of Metrostav, told ČTK last week during the signing of the contract with the museum that work would begin with building documentation and the protection of artistic elements. “From the project documentation, we know what to expect, but with a building that is under heritage protection and a national cultural monument, we obviously do not know what surprises may arise during the work,” he stated. He is the director of Division 9, which specializes in the reconstruction of heritage sites. Recently, it was the Clementinum.
    The preparatory phase of the reconstruction was completed at the beginning of 2013 and cost 548 million crowns. This included costs for moving, remediation, storage in Terezín, and adjustments to the building of the former Federal Assembly. Regarding the fact that it has taken a long nine years from the government's decision and the approval of the necessary financial resources to the "handing over of the keys" to the contractor, partly due to delays associated with the tender, Sobotka told reporters: “All contracts, all projects take an extraordinarily long time. We will try to change some laws; we are currently preparing a reform of the building regulations. Those nine years have been an extraordinarily long time. I am glad that we have it behind us.”
    According to Herman, Czech modern history can be read on the NM building. “We can see with our own eyes what it means when a house is built on rock,” he said.
    “We are a team of experienced companies, and we are pleased that we can undertake the overall reconstruction of one of the most significant monuments in the Czech Republic. It was completed in 1891 and has not been fundamentally repaired since. We will restore its original shine. We will modernize it so that it can serve well within the complex of all NM buildings,” added Zábský.
    The goal of the reconstruction is to halt the deteriorating condition of the historic building, architectural elements, artworks, technical facilities, and engineering networks. By connecting the historic building with the new museum building, a complex will be created that is interconnected both technically and operationally, with a total exhibition area of 11,000 m². The project includes not only new exhibitions but also resting areas and spaces for working with school groups. The building will be barrier-free.