Prague has announced a tender for the completion of the burned-down Industrial Palace

Prague - The Prague City Hall has announced a public contract with an estimated value of nearly two billion crowns for the completion of the left wing and the reconstruction of the Industrial Palace at the Exhibition Grounds. This was reported by Prague spokesman Vít Hofman. The city aims to select a company by the end of the year. The City Hall has previously announced the contract, but the current leadership canceled it last year. The project includes the construction of a replica of the left wing, which burned down in 2008, and the creation of new facilities and technical spaces.

"We will try to complete the challenging process of selecting the most suitable contractor yet this year. This will kill two birds with one stone - we will start to restore one of Prague's most beautiful monuments to its original beauty and at the same time support the Czech economy in these difficult times through a very significant investment project," said Deputy Mayor Pavel Vyhnánek (Prague Together).

The city would like to sign a contract with the selected company by the end of this year, and the work will then take at least two and a half years. The project of the repair preserves the original appearance of the building from 1891 and includes the building of additional facilities and technical modifications of the monument-protected structure. A new feature will be, for instance, an underpass beneath the left wing of the palace, allowing access from the entrance or the foyer to the Křižík Fountain.

Prague representatives decided to announce the contract in 2018, after which the city issued the tender. The current leadership of the City Hall canceled the contract last October, stating that it was announced before the project was completed, and thus without detailed knowledge of what the construction would involve. The original tender estimated the cost at only 1.25 billion.

In addition to the completion of the palace, the city is planning further investments at the Exhibition Grounds. It has a signed contract with a supplier for the repair of the Bohemia restaurant, and reconstruction of the Křižík Pavilions is also planned, with Pavilion D being the first to be renovated. The Spiral Theater building is also set for renovation.

The Industrial Palace was built on the occasion of the Jubilee Land Exhibition according to the design of architect Bedřich Munzberger. From the beginning, it served to host exhibitions and other cultural events, although it was originally intended to be a temporary structure. Between 1952 and 1954, the communist regime decided to change its function, and the main hall of the palace was converted into a social and dance hall. Its name was also changed to the Congress Palace, which was part of the then Park of Culture and Recreation of Julius Fučík.