The government approved the contract for the depositary of the Museum of Decorative Arts

Prague - The government in resignation today approved the call for a tender for the construction of a depository for the Museum of Applied Arts (UPM). This follows from the results of the government meeting. The construction, which has been in preparation for a very long time, is expected to cost 390 million crowns excluding VAT.
    The depository is part of the long-term plans of the Ministry of Culture. It will be financed from the Program for the Care of the National Cultural Heritage, from which the state pays for renovations or new buildings of several state cultural institutions. The anticipated construction period is 21 months.
    "The Museum of Applied Arts in Prague is pleased that the government has approved the project of the Central Depository of the Museum in Stodůlky. The UPM has had the project ready for two years and has obtained the building permit; we will announce the tender for the construction contractor as soon as possible," said museum spokesperson Jana Ulipová to ČTK. UPM will make every effort to have the construction completed as planned, that is, in the second half of 2016, she added.
    With the construction of the central depository, UPM aims to gain new spaces for the placement of valuable artworks that it manages. New research workplaces will also be established in it, as well as space for the transfer of collection items and workplaces in connection with the renovation of the main building of the museum in the Old Town. The depository will be built as a low-energy building, spokesperson for the Ministry of Culture Lenka Brandtová previously told ČTK.
    Only after the depository is built will it be decided when the historical building of UPM will be renovated. "Our effort is to keep it open for visitors as long as possible, so we are planning the first phase of the renovation during visitor operations. The overall closure of the building is currently scheduled for the end of January 2015," the museum spokesperson stated.
    A new exhibition will also be created from the museum's collections at the Municipal House. It will be named Czech Art Nouveau in European Context and will open in October. The exhibition is currently being intensively prepared, with 90 percent of the exhibits coming from the UPM's collections, the spokesperson added.
    The Program for the Care of the National Cultural Heritage was approved by the government in 2006 with a budget of 10.3 billion; so far, nearly two billion crowns have been utilized. The government last extended the program in 2010 until 2017.