The Prague Exhibition Palace became a temple of art 25 years ago

Prague – The Prague Trade Fair Palace is a unique example of interwar functionalist architecture, serving its original purpose – that is, organizing fairs and exhibitions – only for a relatively short time. After a devastating fire in the mid-1970s, there were even considerations to demolish it, but ultimately the palace found its purpose as the home of the modern and contemporary art collection of the National Gallery (NG). After a long renovation, it opened to the public 25 years ago, on December 13, 1995.

The Trade Fair Palace was built according to the designs of Josef Fuchs and Oldřich Tyl for the Prague Sample Trade Fairs company between 1925 and 1928. At the time, it astonished with its size and concept, as well as its rational approach. The palace, with eight above-ground and two underground floors, offered exhibition halls and a cinema, while the top floor housed a café and a restaurant with views of Prague. The design of the building was also appreciated by the functionalism guru, architect Le Corbusier, during his visit to Prague in 1928.

Since the late 1940s, the significance of the palace as a venue for trade fairs began to decline. The building was gradually occupied by officials and merchants from foreign trade enterprises. Poorly executed adaptations – partitions between the offices were built only from particle board and chipboard – contributed to the devastating fire that nearly destroyed the building in August 1974. The damage caused by one of the most destructive fires in modern Prague history was estimated in the hundreds of millions of then-current crowns.

The burned and severely damaged building was surrounded by a metal fence, and for a long time, there was debate about what to do with the palace next. Ultimately, it was acquired by the NG in 1978, and repairs only began nine years later. The transformation of the Trade Fair Palace into a representative venue for modern art was significantly advocated by Jiří Kotalík, the director of the NG from 1967 to 1990. However, the operation of the building is very costly, and for several years, the necessary renovation of this landmark in Holešovice has also been in preparation.