The renovation of the National Museum is going according to plan, it will open next year

Prague - The reconstruction of the National Museum continues according to schedule, and a part of the premises is expected to open to the public for the first time on October 28 next year. This was stated today by the museum director Michal Lukeš on the inspection day. Of the total costs of 2.34 billion crowns, the museum has so far invested over 600 million. Next year, the lower part of the museum will be accessible to the public with an exhibition commemorating the anniversary of the republic. Repairs are expected to be completed by mid-2019.

According to Lukeš, the rough construction work is now finished and the heritage preservation activities are being completed. "At the beginning of next year, cleaning works and interior adjustments will start," he stated. Following the temporary exhibition for the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the republic, the first permanent exhibitions are expected to open in 2019.

The inspection day was attended by the director of the National Heritage Institute (NPÚ) Naděžda Goryczková. The NPÚ team of conservationists is responsible for the restoration work. "From the perspective of heritage care, this is the most complicated and intricate restoration in the history of modern heritage care," she noted. The reason is the fact that the repairs combine the need to preserve the heritage value with the necessity to install new technologies so that the museum can function as a modern institution.

In terms of interior decoration, the interior of the Pantheon dome will be interesting for visitors, as a worn gilding has appeared during the restoration, according to Goryczková. The interior walls, after cleaning, will be significantly lighter than they were in the past. The outer facade of the building will also be lighter than what people are used to, she added.

Culture Minister Daniel Herman (KDU-ČSL) reminded after visiting the construction that the Ministry of Culture is reconstructing another significant monument in the vicinity of the museum, namely the State National Opera building. Other major cultural investments in Prague include the renovation of Clementinum, and the building of the Museum of Decorative Arts was recently opened after reconstruction.

During the repairs since January, four sculptures on the balustrade have been restored, and restorers have also completed the gilding of the domes on the side towers. In the future, there should be a summer café with a view on the museum's roof.

The museum has already begun preparing a new format for its exhibitions. They will continue to be divided into historical and natural science sections. A special museum for children, including preschoolers, is being prepared. "We have currently selected architects for the natural science section, and within a month, we will choose architects for the historical section," Lukeš noted.

The general renovation of the National Museum began in 2015 when it was closed to visitors. All collections were removed from the building, leaving only stuffed specimens of an elephant and a giraffe and the skeleton of a baleen whale, which would have to be disassembled. The total budget is 2.34 billion crowns, with additional works accounting for just over one percent of the cost.