The reconstruction of the entrance to the Veletržní Palace will be delayed, the timeline is unclear

Prague - The National Gallery (NG) has canceled the original tender for the reconstruction of the entrance areas and visitor center of the Prague Trade Fair Palace. This decision was made in response to criticisms from the Czech Chamber of Architects (ČKA), which pointed out several errors in the official call for proposals. Gallery spokesperson Eva Kolerusová told ČTK that a new version of the call should be ready by spring. When construction will begin is still unclear, according to her.
The gallery, according to ČKA, did not specify the composition of the expert jury in the materials and, disregarding copyright law, reserved the right to handle the proposals freely. The call for submissions of conceptual designs for the new visitor entrance areas and modifications to the façade of the building was published by NG on its website at the beginning of this October. However, according to ČKA, the tender "was not in accordance with current legislation and regulations."
"The client required not only an explanatory text but also architectural solutions for floor plans, sections, perspectives, and visualizations as well as details. However, such materials can only be requested in a design competition - an architectural competition, which was not announced," informed ČTK Markéta Pražanová from ČKA. Another error in the project, commissioned by the current director of the gallery, Vladimír Rösel, was, according to her, the unclear composition of the jury.
The gallery intends to correct the mistakes and issue a new tender. "We have already withdrawn the call and are currently working on a new version," said NG spokesperson Kolerusová to ČTK. Additionally, the exact amount that the construction of the new café, shop, cloakroom, and children's corner will cost is not yet known. However, it should be in the millions.
The project will also be funded by the City Hall of Prague, which aims to help enhance the spaces of the Trade Fair Palace in connection with the future installation of Mucha's Slav Epic.
The functionalist palace houses the largest part of the National Gallery's collections - the Collection of Modern and Contemporary Art. However, the building is entered directly from a busy intersection, lacking an adequate entrance space. Moreover, the halls are said to be unwelcoming and do not provide visitors with an overview of what the palace offers. The new entrance should allow visitors not only direct access to the exhibitions but also to the underground spaces of the multipurpose hall, the Great Hall, and in the future to a new café that should directly connect to the gallery's operation.