The extension and reconstruction of Prague's Industrial Palace will begin in January

Prague – The construction and reconstruction work on the Industrial Palace at Prague's Exhibition Grounds will begin in January and is expected to be completed within three years. The capital city has already signed a contract with a consortium of companies Metrostav-DIZ, Avers, and Syner, which will carry out the work for approximately 2.64 billion crowns. In a press release, Prague City Hall spokesperson Vít Hofman informed ČTK about this. The left wing of the palace burned down in 2008. Its reconstruction has long been plagued by problems.

The selection of the consortium was approved by the city council at the end of August. "The Industrial Palace should be complete again in three years, sensitively reconstructed, with modern air conditioning or shading and full of smart technologies to offer even more opportunities for hosting fairs, exhibitions, and other social events," said Deputy Mayor Pavel Vyhnánek (Prague for Themselves).

According to city information, the companies should take over the construction site in January. The city-owned company Výstaviště Praha has already started moving technologies and other necessary preparations. Construction will begin next year with the fencing of the construction site, building access roads, and necessary connections. Following that, the clearing or securing of historical interior elements will take place. "The result of the first phase of work will be extensive excavation and earthworks for the left wing of the palace, securing the building pit, and the associated parts of the construction," the spokesperson stated.

Upon completion, the replica of the burned-down wing will be equipped with modern technologies. Heating will utilize heat pumps with 70 deep boreholes averaging 140 meters deep. The palace will be fitted with air conditioning and so-called shading technology. A new massive basement will be created under the left wing, which will house facilities for preparing exhibitions.

The restoration of the palace has been accompanied by long-term problems. Among other issues, the city was involved in legal disputes over insurance money following the wing's fire. Prague city representatives decided in 2018 to announce a tender; however, the current city hall leadership canceled it in October 2019. They justified this by stating that it was issued before the project's completion, and thus without detailed knowledge of what the construction would entail. The original tender estimated the cost at only 1.25 billion crowns. The second, now completed competition was announced by the city last June.

The Industrial Palace was built for the Jubilee Land Exhibition in 1891, according to the design by architect Bedřich Munzberger. It has served from the beginning for exhibitions and other cultural events, although it was initially intended as a temporary structure. From 1952 to 1954, the communist regime decided to change its function and had the main hall of the palace reconstructed into a social and dance hall. Its name was also changed to Congress Palace, which was part of the then Park of Culture and Leisure of Julius Fučík.