Prague will repair the entrance gate of the Exhibition Grounds and create a grilling area

Prague - Next year, Prague will repair the entrance gate of the Exhibition Grounds in Prague 7, build a grilling area or a so-called natural biotope. This was announced to journalists today by Mayor Adriana Krnáčová (ANO) and councilor Karel Grabein Procházka (ANO). The renovation of the area will take place in three phases. After the first phase, the repair of Křižík's Fountain will follow, and finally, the construction of a replica of the burned wing of the Industrial Palace. The costs of the reconstruction have not yet been calculated. It is unclear whether the Matějská Fair will remain in its current form at the Exhibition Grounds.

"The first phase consists of projects that can be done very quickly. The second phase includes projects that can be realized within three years, as they are subject to the public procurement law. The last phase consists of projects that will take longer than three years," said Krnáčová.

The city plans to announce an architectural competition for the repair of the entrance gate at the beginning of 2017. Besides building the grilling area and creating the biotope, the repair of the Lapidarium and Marold's panorama is also set to begin next year. "Part of the Exhibition Grounds will also return to Stromovka and the rest will be connected to it by three gates. However, we do not have a definitive version of how we will do it yet," said Pavel Klaška, director of the municipal company Development Projects, which manages the Exhibition Grounds.

The company is also addressing the fate of the Spirála theater. "We are creating a feasibility study. We believe that it could be repaired and used again," Klaška said. In the future, the area is set to be divided into several parts, such as cultural, sports, and leisure activities.

The costs for the complete transformation have not yet been quantified. "We do not yet know the exact amount, but it will undoubtedly be high," Procházka said. The city does not plan to include the project for the reconstruction of the Industrial Palace and its surroundings, created for Prague years ago by the architectural office Cigler Marani, due to its financial demands, according to Procházka.

The most complex task will be the construction of a replica of the burned wing of the Industrial Palace. Prague will announce a competition for a multifunctional temporary hall costing 300 million - according to Procházka, the costs will be recovered within five years.

The Matějská Fair could disappear from the Exhibition Grounds in the future. According to the mayor, its current form is not modern. However, it is not yet clear in what form and whether it will remain at the Exhibition Grounds. The fate of the Sports Hall has not yet been decided either.

The Exhibition Grounds near Stromovka was created in 1891 on the occasion of the Jubilee Land Exhibition. The area suffered significant damage from flooding in 2002. Six years later, a fire engulfed the Industrial Palace, destroying an entire wing.