The final stage of the renovations of Klementinum will be designed by the studio of Petr Hrůša

Prague - The National Library will begin the final phase of several years of renovations of the Klementinum complex, which it occupies, next year. The extensive baroque complex has been under renovation since 2010, and storage facilities are also being constructed. The approval of the current, second phase will be on September 25, said Irena Maňáková, spokesperson for the National Library, today after a visit by Culture Minister Daniel Herman to Klementinum. Originally, three separate phases of renovation were planned, but they will be combined into one.
    The total costs for the renovation of the former Jesuit college and the addition of the storage facility will reach 1.886 billion crowns. The project has so far cost 600 million crowns. The archaeological research and restoration work alone cost nearly 130 million crowns, and according to previous information from the library's management, these activities have caused a delay of a year and a half against the original schedule. This year, the director of the National Library changed twice. After meeting with the current director, Petr Kroupa, Herman stated that "the situation in the library is stabilized" in terms of personnel.
    The concluding second phase of renovations primarily concerns the oldest part of Klementinum. This year, the Ministry of Culture is expected to issue the contract for the final phase, with an anticipated value of 790 million crowns excluding VAT, totaling 956 million crowns.
    In September, the National Library will present a new study of the operational and spatial solution of its headquarters. The winner of the tender, the studio Architekti Hrůša & spol., is tasked with developing a new study taking into account the merging of the third, fourth, and fifth phases of the site's reconstruction.
    The renovation of Klementinum was originally scheduled to be completed in 2016; according to current plans, it will be in 2018. The projects for reconstruction have changed since they were created during a time when a new building for the library was still considered. After resistance from politicians, the National Library stepped back from it and is addressing spatial issues by building a central storage facility in Hostivař. The planned underground storage facility from two years ago in the Klementinum complex has also been abandoned, referring to conservationists who reportedly demand fewer interventions in the underground due to unexpected findings. This is also addressed by the new operational and spatial study.
    The National Library manages more than seven million volumes of books, with an annual growth of approximately 100,000 volumes. Today, Kroupa mentioned plans to renew the advisory board of the general director for the development of the library and the institution's standing in Czech society and worldwide. Among the most significant planned cultural events is an exhibition showcasing Armenian culture, history, and literature.