In March, the building of the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague is expected to be approved for occupancy

Building U(P)M, Jindřich Eckert, 1901

Prague - By the end of March, the building of the Art and Design Museum in Prague is expected to receive occupancy approval after two years of renovation. The grand opening, featuring several exhibitions that will showcase collections and the results of the museum's work during reconstruction, is planned for November. Before the building fills with exhibitions, museum director Helena Koenigsmarková wants to show it to the public while it is still empty, which is set to happen in May and June. "It's unique to see the unique architecture and decoration of Josef Schulze in all its glory," she said during a museum tour to ČTK.

The building is now being gradually handed over. All technical elements are new, from heating and sewage to elevators and a completely newly installed air conditioning system for the exhibition halls, the director stated.

The museum has six exhibitions planned for this year, provided it receives the expected funding from the founder. The first is intended to showcase the history of the museum and its reconstruction. The opening of the building in November will include showcases dedicated to glass, design, masterpieces from the UPM collections, tapestries, and home culture in panel houses in former Czechoslovakia. In January 2018, an exhibition of photographs by Josef Koudelka is planned, who deposited part of his work in the museum with the intention of gradually donating it to its collections.

Those who visited the museum before the reconstruction will notice the change immediately upon entering through the main entrance - the entire staircase, stone elements, metal lighting stands, and wall paintings have taken on the appearance from the time the museum was established. Visitors will also be able to enter from the side of the building through the garden, especially for those for whom climbing the stairs is challenging or impossible.

With the reconstruction, the museum gained nearly 2,200 square meters for permanent exhibitions and over 600 square meters for exhibitions, which is two and a half times more than before 2014. The project was designed by architect Tomáš Šantavý. The museum shop and cafe will also have larger spaces.

The building in the style of Italian Renaissance was constructed according to Schulze's design between 1897 and 1899. Its extensive collections include glass, porcelain, and ceramics, applied graphics, photography, posters, works made from precious and ordinary metals, jewelry, clothing, tapestries, clocks, furniture, as well as objects made from plastic. However, years ago, the building ceased to have sufficient capacity and needed reconstruction - obtaining a depository was a condition for it. The museum waited 15 years for both the depository and the reconstruction. The central depository in Prague Stodůlky opened last year.

The renovation of the main building and the depository is financed by the government’s Program for the Care of the National Cultural Treasure. The museum's reconstruction is considered one of the less expensive projects in the culture sector. The winning bid from the competition was 266 million CZK excluding VAT, which included internal furnishings and is expected to be adhered to, according to the director. The construction and furnishing of the depository cost 315 million CZK.

"After the occupancy approval, employees who will work here permanently, namely the museum management, economic department, and collection presentations, will begin to move back," stated the director, who has been at the helm of the museum since 1990 and has been overseeing the project "more space for collections" since 1995. The library, along with the storages, will begin to move back first, as it maintains a rare in-person borrowing service, meaning that users do not have to request a book in advance, except in exceptional cases, but can receive it immediately.