The Museum of the City of Prague in Florenc should reopen after reconstruction in the summer

Prague – The main building of the Museum of the City of Prague (MMP) in Florenc is expected to open to visitors at the beginning of summer. Since June 2020, it has been closed for reconstruction. The construction work is mostly finished, with some rooms remaining to be completed and exhibitions to be prepared. CTK was informed today by MMP spokesperson Veronika Nová. The general modernization of the building from the late 19th century has so far cost approximately 290 million crowns.

It included the renewal of all interior spaces, technical and security facilities, as well as the construction of an elevator. According to Nová, the final price will be a few million crowns higher. MMP is a contributory organization of the Prague City Hall, and its collection fund is dedicated to Prague's history. The museum is currently looking for a supplier of audiovisual content for the Langweil model of Prague exhibition.

"The winner will be announced within a month, and then work on the entire project will begin. We expect that if everything goes smoothly, it may open to the public at the beginning of summer," said Nová. Part of the museum's reconstruction also includes the creation of a so-called immersive hall, where projections will be made on the walls and floors.

"Visitors will be immersed in the theme of life in Prague at the time when the displayed exhibit of the extensive historical model of Prague was created by Antonín Langweil," stated Nová. The connecting element of the entire multimedia exhibition will be time and its passage. The museum may also use the technology for accompanying programs. "Visitors can look forward to a unique experience that they have only seen abroad, for example in London," added the spokesperson.

In addition to the exhibitions, according to her, a café, a lecture hall, and some minor construction work remain to be arranged.

The museum is completely wheelchair accessible after the renovation; until 2020, people with disabilities could use a platform, but they could not access the upper floors. The ticket offices, cloakrooms, toilets, and museum shop have also been modernized.

The main building of the Museum of the City of Prague was built from 1896 to 1898 according to the design of architect Antonín Balšánek and was ceremonially opened to the public along with the exhibitions on September 27, 1900. Since then, only partial modifications, primarily of a technical nature, have taken place.

The overall general reconstruction has been in preparation since 2004, initially including the completion and later the construction of a new building of the museum near the existing one. In 2012, the renewal of the façade was completed, including the restoration of decorative elements.