NPÚ will start looking for a contractor for the reconstruction of Invalidovna this year

invalidovna

Prague - The National Heritage Institute (NPÚ) will start looking for a contractor this year for the reconstruction and construction of extensions to the Prague Invalidovna. The Baroque national cultural monument designed by Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer will be supplemented by two new buildings designed by the studio Petr Hájek architekti. The total cost, including the creation of exhibitions in the historic part, is estimated at 2.15 billion crowns including VAT. This was stated by the general director of NPÚ, Naděžda Goryczková, at today’s press conference on the investment priorities of the Ministry of Culture.

The historic complex of the Invalidovna is awaiting restoration, after which it should open to the public. The square courtyard of the building will be accessible after reconstruction through entrances from all sides of the world. In the individual wings of the building, an educational center, a historical exhibition, a research facility, and a laboratory will be created, and the NPÚ funds will find their base there. The Invalidovna will become a multifunctional cultural center, Goryczková stated.

The establishment of the cultural center will enable the placement of necessary technologies in the two extensions. According to the director of NPÚ, the original plan considered placing technologies in the attic, but the uniqueness of the truss led to the idea of completing the construction. The project has received a zoning decision, and a definitive building permit is expected in the coming days.

In the extensions from Karlín to Vítkov, the Prague Philharmonic Choir will find its headquarters. Architect Hájek designed a hall for 200 people with top-notch acoustics, which will serve as a rehearsal space and congress center for NPÚ. At the same time, an underground parking lot should be created beneath the land in the southern part. "We anticipate that we will announce a public contract for 2 billion crowns for the construction contractor by mid this year," Goryczková stated.

Work on the reconstruction and extensions is expected to take place from next year until 2028. A year later, the Invalidovna in its new form should open to the public. Representatives of NPÚ discussed the planned reconstruction of the building when it was taken over in 2018. According to the then plans, the restoration, estimated at around one billion crowns, was to be completed this year.

The Invalidovna was established between 1731 and 1737 based on the project of the significant architect of Czech Baroque, Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer, as a shelter for war veterans and their families. The building served as accommodation for war invalids until 1935. Later, the Military Central Archive operated in the building, which was significantly damaged by floods in 2002, and then it was transferred to the Office for Representation of the State in Property Matters (ÚZSVM). The office initially wanted to sell the monument at auction, but NPÚ, as a contributory organization of the Ministry of Culture, acquired it in 2018 through a gratuitous transfer.