The National Museum announced a tender for the reconstruction of the main building

Prague - The National Museum (NM) has announced a tender for the contractor to reconstruct its historic building. The government approved the public procurement in the form of an open selection procedure on April 10, followed by the ministries of finance and culture. The opening of the bids from applicants is expected by the end of August. Tereza Petáková from the NM's external relations department announced this today to ČTK.
    The building will retain its original face, which was shaped by architect Josef Schulz, even after the reconstruction. Visitors can look forward to a modern exhibition complex in line with the trends of the third millennium. One of the significant elements of the reconstruction is the construction of an underground tunnel that will connect the historic building with the adjacent New building of the NM. The selection procedure for the contractor of the NM's historic building reconstruction was published on May 13 in the Public Procurement Bulletin.
    "During the reconstruction of the historic building, the focus is not only on construction work and the design of new exhibitions. Great care is also devoted to the restoration of paintings, sculptures, and other elements of this national cultural monument," Petáková added.
    The government has dealt with the tender three times. According to ČTK sources, the cabinet returned to its original form, that is, an open selection procedure, which the museum initially planned itself. Minister of Culture Alena Hanáková (TOP 09 and STAN) had proposed in earlier cabinet meetings that the office select the contractor in a restricted procedure, which was not favored by most government members, including Prime Minister Petr Nečas.
    The museum announced the open selection procedure already last August in the Public Procurement Bulletin. However, the Ministry of Culture issued an order for its contributing organizations that public contracts over 50 million crowns should preferably be awarded through a restricted procedure. Therefore, NM adjusted the form of the selection procedure, but the government raised objections to this form twice. Based on NM's comments, the form was again adjusted to an open selection procedure.
    Applicants are required to provide, for example, a list of constructions completed in the last five years and certificates from clients regarding the proper completion of the most significant among them. A prerequisite is also at least five works of a similar nature and scope carried out in the last five years, including at least two, which involved the construction or reconstruction of a public amenities building costing at least 300 million crowns excluding VAT for each of them. Furthermore, two construction works concerning the reconstruction of a building that is a cultural monument for at least 100 million CZK excluding VAT.
    The renovation of the building on Wenceslas Square, which has been vacated and closed since the summer of 2011, will cost nearly three billion crowns including VAT. The expected construction period is 42 months, and the money will come from the state budget from the Ministry of Culture’s chapter under the National Cultural Heritage Care Program. The preparatory phase cost 548 million crowns. This included costs for moving, remediation, completion of depositories in Terezín, and modifications to the New building. Another selection procedure has been announced for the restoration of sculptures and furnishings. New exhibition architects will be selected during the next year. Half a billion crowns is allocated for their preparation.
    The museum's reconstruction will improve the exhibition, exhibition, and operational spaces. The connection of both buildings will create an integrated complex with a total exhibition area of 11,000 m².