The museums of the Plzeň region want a research center for architecture

Plzen - The establishment of a digitization center and the creation of a research center for 19th and 20th-century architecture are among the main objectives that the Plzeň Region has set in its new museum concept. The concept for the years 2012 to 2017 also includes active support for regional museums in relation to the project of Plzeň as the European Capital of Culture for 2015. The regional council approved the concept today, said Alena Svobodová, head of the culture, heritage care, and tourism department at the regional office, to ČTK.
    "In addition to the protection of collections, joint promotion of museums, and cooperation with various entities, great emphasis is placed on an active approach to external financial resources, both national and transnational," she stated. The region believes that it has a great chance of obtaining grants from so-called Norwegian funds, which are expected to be announced next year. In the past, the region has drawn millions of crowns from these funds for the equipment of repositories and the restoration of valuable historical works.
    It also aims to obtain a grant from the Norwegian funds for the research center of 19th and 20th-century architecture in an apartment on Klatovská Street, which was designed by the renowned architect Adolf Loos. The regional government has already tentatively agreed with Plzeň on the acquisition of the apartment. Preliminary estimates for the reconstruction are about 50 million, with the grant possibly reaching up to 30 million. The interior has three floors and resembles Loos's Prague Müller Villa in its concept.
    Another plan in the concept involves the establishment of a digitization center in the repository of the Study and Scientific Library (SVK) in Bory. It would be used by all cultural organizations in the region for the digitization of collection photographs and documents. "This is the biggest problem for all current museums. Degraded historical negatives and photographs are the most at risk. The loss of information captured in them would be inexcusable," claims Svobodová. With minimal costs, a regional center would thus be created in the premises used by SVK. Until now, regional museums have had to order digitization services expensively.
    Cultural institutions will prepare a document that will establish priorities and order in the digitization of materials using modern and gentle methods according to their condition and degree of risk. Approximately tens of thousands of items need to be digitized.
    The museum concept was prepared this year by staff from the regional office and several directors of regional museums. This resulted in a document that presents clearly defined objectives and deadlines for completion over ten pages.