The NM building will offer glazed courtyards and a tower with an observation deck after the renovation

Prague - The currently inaccessible inner courtyards of the National Museum building in Prague (NM) will be covered with glass roofs during the planned reconstruction, creating halls for exhibitions and social events. The parking lot will be preserved, and above it, there will be a social atrium with a café and a museum shop. The main tower of the museum will be transformed into an observation lounge. These are some of the plans of the museum's management regarding how the main building should look after the reconstruction.
    The historic building designed by Josef Schulz is among the national cultural monuments. "We are not seeking fundamental changes to the architecture - we want to adapt this beautiful object for the 21st century and beyond," said Michal Lukeš, director of the National Museum, to ČTK. He reminded that the reconstruction will also include a large volume of restoration and conservation work, as the building is richly decorated and equipped with works of art. For this reason, all plans are continuously consulted and approved by conservators.
    In a public competition for the design of the reconstruction project, the consortium of the VPU DECO and SUDOP Prague studios won. The goal of the clients was to find professional designers capable of fulfilling the museum management's vision while respecting the legacy of architect Schulz. The reconstruction is set to begin at the end of next year, last until 2015, and is expected to cost 4.5 billion crowns. This amount also includes, for example, the reconstruction of the depositories in Terezín, relocation, partial adjustments to the new building, and the costs for the creation of new exhibitions.
    "The one who translates our vision into a technically feasible form is chief architect Zdeněk Žilka, who has already designed the depository for us in Terezín," said Lukeš. Other plans include, for example, a safe depository in the basement, changing rooms in the cellar, two elevators for the public connecting all floors, and a freight elevator. Security halls for special exhibitions equipped with modern fire suppression systems using gas will be created on the ground floor facing Škrétova Street.
    The spaces on the first and second floors will undergo minimal alterations; all will be designated for exhibitions. The attic constructions will be removed and will continue to be used for technical support. The gas boiler heating will be replaced by electric heaters on the floors, while hot water heating will remain on the ground floor and in the basement. Ventilation will be through the original chimney flues.
    Currently, natural science museum materials are being moved to the depository in Horní Počernice, with another being created from the former barracks in Terezín. Exhibits from the Historical Museum, which are being packed, will be relocated there.
    "We will close the main building in autumn 2011, as soon as the large exhibition of Old Czech Legends ends. We will announce the selection procedure for the general contractor for the construction at the beginning of next year," stated Lukeš. He hopes that along with the repairs, it will be possible to relocate the thoroughfare behind the museum and revitalize the space at the upper end of Wenceslas Square. According to Lukeš, the schedule for preparatory work, which also relates to drawing financial resources, is being successfully fulfilled. By the start of the construction works, approximately 700 million crowns out of the total amount for the reconstruction will have been invested.
    The building of the National Museum, connected to the former Federal Assembly by an underground corridor, will form a single visitor and technological unit. It will offer thousands of square meters of modern exhibition and display areas, lecture and screening halls, facilities for schools and workshops for children, museum shops, restaurants, and cafés. All museum administration, including the management, has already been relocated to the newly acquired property.
    The National Museum manages 20 million collection items and has fifty buildings, of which 20 are exhibition spaces. Last year, it opened the National Memorial at Vítkov, featuring an exhibition dedicated to Czech and Slovak statehood in the 20th century. Future plans include the repair and innovation of exhibitions at the Náprstek Museum and the establishment of museums of the history of sports and theater. The main museum building is expected to be fully operational by 2018, when the NM celebrates its 200th anniversary.