One company applied for the competition for the completion of the museum in Jablonec

Hlaváček - architects, Prague; extension of the Glass and Costume Jewelry Museum in Jablonec nad Nisou (source MSB)

Jablonec nad Nisou - Only one company applied for the competition to complete the museum in Jablonec. It offered a price just under 43 million without VAT. The extension will take the form of a glass-cut crystal. If the evaluation of the offer does not reveal any deficiencies, work is expected to begin at the end of March next year. The museum director Milada Valečková informed ČTK today. The museum needs an extension due to lack of space.

Construction was supposed to start this September, but no one applied in the first round of the tender, so the competition had to be repeated. According to the director, it still needs to be checked whether the submitted offer includes all attachments, items, and other requirements. If everything is in order, the museum will likely sign a contract with the registered company at the beginning of December.

"Due to the winter, it wouldn’t make sense to start building this year, so we will probably give them a deadline for starting work at the end of March, to allow them to cut down trees during the dormant season," Valečková stated.

The company will have 14 months for construction, after which the exhibition will be arranged. "If everything goes well, we could open a Christmas exhibition in December 2019. It would coincide with the museum's 115th anniversary," the director added.

The museum obtained funding for the extension from its founder, the Ministry of Culture. The museum plans to place a permanent exhibition of Christmas ornaments in the extension. The Jablonec collection is probably the largest public collection in the world, counting over 15,000 items. In addition to the permanent exhibition, the three-story extension will also feature the museum's technical facilities with storage rooms, garages, and air conditioning. One floor will seamlessly connect to the original vestibule of the museum and is designed as a multifunctional space for temporary exhibitions, lectures, or concerts. In the summer season, it could also be used as a café.