In the Prague Clam-Gallas Palace, there could be an exhibition of Czech glass

Prague - The Museum of the Capital City of Prague could set up an exhibition dedicated to Czech glass in the Clam-Gallas Palace on Mariánské náměstí. Jiří Pospíšil (TOP 09), the deputy mayor of Prague for culture, said this today to ČTK. Previously, the city hall planned an exhibition of Baroque Prague in the monument, but according to the deputy, the problem is that the building lacks air conditioning. Two years ago, the city completed the reconstruction of the palace, and some experts criticize the restoration of certain artistic elements.

According to Pospíšil, historical items and works of art require air-conditioned spaces, and given the heritage protection of the palace, the addition of such technology is not very feasible. At the same time, he noted that the capital lacks a permanent exhibition dedicated to Czech glassmaking.

The deputy added that the city management approved 40 million crowns for the Museum of the Capital City of Prague to construct exhibitions in the palace, but the exact form of these exhibitions has not yet been determined. According to Pospíšil, the museum will prepare the concept of glassmaking exhibitions by the end of the year, and subsequently, the city council would vote on it. "I would be pleased if we could open it by the end of the electoral term," he said.

According to experts, the Clam-Gallas Palace is one of the best-preserved aristocratic city palaces in the world. Its current high Baroque appearance was created between 1714 and 1718 by builder Tomáš Haffenecker based on the design by Vienna’s court architect Johann Bernard Fischer von Erlach for Count Jan Václav Gallas. Since World War II, the Archive of the Capital City of Prague has been located there, which gradually moved to a new building in Chodovec starting from 2017. The city hall completed the reconstruction of the palace in September 2022, which lasted from 2018 and cost approximately 569 million crowns including VAT. According to experts associated with the Art History Society, inappropriate interventions during the reconstruction damaged the artistic elements both in the exterior and interior.