The Hradec Králové Region will announce a competition for the reconstruction of part of the gallery space in H. Králové

Hradec Králové - The Council of the Hradec Králové Region approved on Monday the announcement of a competition for a construction company that will build new depositories, technical rooms, or an educational center in part of the Art Nouveau building of the Gallery of Modern Art (GMU) in Hradec Králové. The region will announce the competition still in September, said Dan Lechmann, spokesman for the regional office, to ČTK today. The estimated costs for the reconstruction of the previously unused spaces of the building are, according to him, 39 million crowns without VAT, most of which will be covered by a European grant from IROP.

"Construction work should start later this year. However, the main focus of the repairs is planned for next year and 2025. It should be completed in 2026," Lechmann told ČTK today. Hradec Králové's GMU is a contributory organization of the Hradec Králové Region.

The construction modifications will primarily concern two underground floors of the building, which have so far avoided any repairs.

The gallery operates in the environment of a valued Art Nouveau building, which was originally created as a palace for the Loan Credit Institution in the regional city. The GMU building is located in the historic center of the hundred-thousand-strong Hradec Králové on Velké náměstí and was created according to the design of architect Osvald Polívka in 1912. The building underwent a major reconstruction from 2014 to 2016. This reconstruction, which cost more than 120 million crowns, received the prestigious nationwide award Building of the Year 2017.