The renovation of the museum in Hradec Králové will take a year and a half

Hradec Králové - The renovation of the East Bohemia Museum in Hradec Králové will cost around 73 million crowns and is expected to start at the beginning of next year. It should be completed by mid-2019. During the renovation, the museum, which is managed by the Hradec Králové Region, will be completely closed. After the reconstruction, a new feature will open for visitors: a terrace on the roof of the museum. The investor for the renovation will be the city of Hradec Králové, which owns the building. This was announced today by Petr Vinklář, the spokesperson for the Hradec Králové city council.

The Art Nouveau museum building was designed by architect Jan Kotěra and constructed between 1909 and 1912, making it one of the most significant buildings in Hradec Králové. In 1995, the museum was proclaimed a national cultural monument. After the renovation, new exhibition spaces will be created in the building, some of which will be newly managed directly by the city. From the terrace near the dome on the roof, there will be a new view of part of the city center along the Elbe embankment.

Today, the city council recommended that the representatives announce a tender for the renovation contractors. "At this moment, the city has prepared documentation for the building permit for the museum reconstruction, which we will apply for in June," said Deputy Mayor for Investments Jindřich Vedlich (TOP 09). After obtaining the building permit, the city will apply for a grant from the European ITI program for the Hradec Králové-Pardubice agglomeration. The grant amount can reach up to 90 percent. The final cost of the renovations will be determined by the tender.

The builders will also repair or replace the windows on the building, conduct renovations of the stained glass, and restore the cladding in which the windows are embedded. The plaster and brick facade will also be renewed, and restorers will professionally treat the plaster and stucco surfaces, the fountain, ramps, staircases, and statues. The museum building's renovation will then be followed by the renewal of the adjoining small park behind the building on Kotěrova Street.

The Hradec Králové city hall has previously invested in museum renovations, for example, in May 2002, the museum reopened after a three-year renovation costing more than 70 million crowns. Two years later, restorers repaired two ceramic statues for two million crowns.