The foundation announced a tender for the repair of Prague's Mánes for 150 million

Prague - The Foundation of Czech Visual Arts (NČVU) today announced a tender for the renovation of the Prague Mánes building. CTK was informed about this today by the chairman of the NČVU board, Martin Pavala. The actual reconstruction could start in March and last approximately until the autumn of 2013. According to earlier information, it will cost 150 million crowns.
    "The deadline for the tender is set for February 29 so that the contract can be signed in March and the anticipated repairs can begin," said Pavala. He added that the company has made the contract public, even though it is a private entity and the law does not require it. "The reason is the effort for maximum transparency in all steps," he added.
    According to him, the conditions of the tender are intentionally set rather strictly. "The foundation, for which the Mánes renovation represents a huge financial and operational burden, cannot afford the risk of potential cooperation with a company that does not have sufficient personnel and financial backing," he emphasized.
    Pavala previously told CTK that NČVU, which owns the building, wants to cover one-third of the costs from its own resources, while it has temporarily secured a bridging loan for the remainder. The foundation hopes to obtain at least another third of the funds needed for the Mánes renovation from Norwegian funds, the European Union, or from sponsors.
    The building will be modified according to the project by the HMArchitekti studio, which does not plan any radical interventions. They want to return the Mánes both architecturally and functionally to the 1930s. The lower hall from the 1980s will be removed, and new multifunctional spaces will be created in its place. The upper exhibition halls will remain preserved. The original restaurant with a terrace and a painted ceiling by Emil Filla will also be restored.
    The functionalist building of Mánes was designed at the request of the Union of Visual Artists Mánes by Otakar Novotný, a student of the famous architect Jan Kotěra. The construction was completed in 1930. Since the early 1990s, there has been a restitution dispute regarding the building. The Supreme Court ultimately designated NČVU as its owner.