The celebrations of 100 years of the National House in Prostějov will begin in December

Prostějov - Singer Lucie Bílá and the Boni Pueri choir will kick off a year-long program celebrating the 100th anniversary of the opening of the National House in Prostějov in December. The anniversary of this significant Art Nouveau monument will be commemorated throughout next year with a series of concerts, exhibitions, and theater performances, said Alena Spurná, director of the Prostějov theater, to reporters today.
    "It is no coincidence that we are starting the celebration program on December 1. In 1907, the theater in the National House was also opened on this day. The entire building was opened gradually, but everything culminated with the launch of the theater's activities," said the director. A number of large and intimate events are therefore planned for next year. A publication will also be released in November next year, paying tribute to the monument and its creators, led by architect Jan Kotěra. "It will contain visual materials and texts from ten authors. For the first time, all activities in the National House will be mapped out in its hundred-year history," added Spurná. The celebration program will culminate on December 1, 2007, with a concert by singer Eva Urbanová and the Moravian Philharmonic Olomouc.
    The centenary of the architectural gem prompted extensive renovations of the building. A reconstructed Art Nouveau café was opened last November. In May of this year, modifications began in the theater portion of the building. "The crowning jewel of this currently concluding phase of reconstruction is undoubtedly the foyer on the first floor, which has managed to regain its original appearance. The lowered ceilings that hid the original stucco decoration for 64 years have been removed. The highlight is seven chandeliers. Four were reconstructed from preserved fragments, and three lights were newly manufactured," said Spurná. The final stage of renovation will take place next year. The restaurant of the National House should resemble its original form as closely as possible. According to Mayor Jan Tesař, the total cost of restoring the monument amounts to approximately 70 million crowns.
    The National House is a unique Art Nouveau monument of European significance. It is one of the city's major landmarks. It was built between 1905 and 1907 according to the design of the leading figure of Czech Art Nouveau, Jan Kotěra. Its purpose was to establish a cultural and social center for the city, including a tavern, theater, and spaces for associations. Significant modifications during the Second World War heavily altered the house's original features, largely erasing the distinctive characteristics of Kotěra's work.