The Industrial Palace is expected to be completed according to the design of architect Cigler

Prague - The Industrial Palace in Holešovice is to be completed according to the design of architect Jakub Cigler and his studio Cigler Marani Architects a.s. According to information from ČTK, this was decided by a committee that assessed about ten architectural proposals. However, the final say in determining the winner will come from the capital city's council.
    The proposal envisages the completion of the burned-out wing of the palace according to the technologies used at the time of its construction, Cigler told ČTK. Thus, the structures should be riveted, which is practically not done today. To solve the technical issues related to compliance with current standards, the architects have teamed up with the structural consulting office Němec Polák, spol. s r.o., Cigler added.
    Part of the competition was to propose a underpass that would connect the space in front of the Industrial Palace with the Křižík Fountain. Technical facilities and parking spaces for exhibitors should also be located underground. Cigler recommended expanding the park areas and connecting the Exhibition Grounds with Stromovka. "The exhibition area, in my opinion, is very neglected due to the behavior of Incheba," added Cigler.
    The expert committee convened from Thursday. They evaluated the proposals anonymously, and only after determining the winners did they learn the authors of the works. According to previously published competition regulations, Cigler is to receive a reward of 600,000 crowns, with financial recognition going to architects in second and third place as well, amounting to 400,000 and 200,000 crowns, respectively.
    Cigler is the majority owner of the studio Cigler Marani Architects a.s. For the city council, he has previously prepared a proposal for the reconstruction of Wenceslas Square, as well as the design of the new building for Radio Free Europe at Hagibor or the planned multifunctional complex Copa Center above the Národní třída metro station.
    The architectural competition was announced by the city council at the beginning of March. Its goal is to produce an architectural design and methodology for the reconstruction of the palace and the construction of the underpass. The main criteria for evaluating the proposals were to be the overall solution, authenticity of implementation, and quality of the proposed materials, structures, and technologies, which must also comply with current safety standards and conditions for obtaining a building permit.
    The city council now must announce a tender for the construction contractor. The city leadership has long promised that the completion will start this year, probably in the autumn.
    The reconstruction of the left wing of the cultural monument, which was burned down in the autumn of 2008, will cost about 1.5 billion crowns according to the city council, including additional work. Complications in the completion may arise from unresolved disputes between Prague and the tenant of the Exhibition Grounds, the company Incheba. The city is currently working to remove Incheba from the Exhibition Grounds, but Incheba disagrees with leaving.
    The Industrial Palace was built for the Jubilee Land Exhibition, which took place from May to October 1891. The building, designed in the Art Nouveau style by architects Bedřich Münzberg and František Prášil, became the centerpiece of the Exhibition Grounds, and it was also the first building in Bohemia constructed using prefabricated steel structures.
    The Industrial Palace is listed as a cultural monument as part of the Exhibition Grounds, which has been under heritage protection since the 1950s. The authentic steel structure, particularly visible on the tower, was especially valued in the construction of the palace itself, as in both side wings it was concealed under wooden ceilings.