Prague will announce a contract for 1.25 billion for the Industrial Palace

Prague - The Prague City Hall will announce a public contract for 1.25 billion for the reconstruction of the Industrial Palace at the Exhibition Grounds and the completion of its burned-down left wing. This decision was made by the council today. The city already has a project prepared for the completion, and construction could begin next year. Given the heritage protection of the palace, it will involve a replica of the original building with minor modifications. The left wing of the palace was destroyed by a fire in 2008, and a tent now stands in its place.

The project of adjustments aims to preserve the existing appearance of the palace as much as possible, which is based on the original design from 1891 and the reconstruction from the early 1950s. A new feature will be an underpass beneath the left wing of the palace, allowing access from the entrance or the foyer to the Křižík Fountain. According to city officials, this is intended to improve the accessibility of the entire area.

According to architect Vladimír Thiel from the SGL Project office, which proposed the reconstruction, it was initially planned to build an underpass under the right wing of the palace as well; however, due to heritage preservation, that plan was abandoned, and the underground passage will only be under the newly constructed wing.

The left wing will also see the addition of five emergency exits, which will allow up to 5,000 people, the maximum occupancy of the wing, to quickly exit the building in case of necessity. A new basement will also be created under the extension, providing space for facilities and social amenities. The interiors of the palace are expected to largely remain in their existing form.

Construction could, according to city hall plans, begin next year, 11 years after the fire that destroyed the left wing, and will last three years according to the approved document. Prague is still in litigation with the company Incheba, which had long-term rented the palace, due to the fire. The city is seeking compensation in the billions from them. However, the company, now renamed Reality MK, ended up in liquidation last year.

In the place of the left wing, there is currently a tent, which the city wants to cover with scaffolding to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the founding of Czechoslovakia, on which visualizations could be projected. The current city hall leadership also plans to build a new structure near the Lapidarium, where they would like to place Alfons Mucha's Slav Epic. In addition, smaller adjustments are being made in the area, and renovations are underway at the restaurant Pražan, where a mini-brewery is to be restored.

The Industrial Palace was built in 1891 on the occasion of the Jubilee Land Exhibition according to the design of architect Bedřich Munzberger. From the beginning, it served for holding exhibitions and other cultural events, although it was originally intended to be a temporary structure. Between 1952 and 1954, the communist regime decided to change its function, and the main hall of the palace was converted into a social and dance hall according to architect Pavel Smetana's design. Its name was also changed to the Palace of Culture and Leisure Julia Fučík. Since the 1990s, Incheba had rented the entire Exhibition Grounds, including the palace, and the city terminated the contract with them a few years ago. Since 2015, the complex has been managed by the city-owned company Výstaviště Praha.