The Museum of Applied Arts opened a depository in Stodůlky

Prague - Another institution that will henceforth be straddled between two buildings in different parts of Prague is the Museum of Applied Arts (UPM). Today it opened its depository in the Stodůlky housing estate. It will store its collections there and will also open some workplaces, while exhibitions will remain in the main building. The depository on the green field often addresses the capacity problems of institutions, but it also means new commuting for employees and other professionals, and in some cases more frequent handling of collections. The National Library, which opened a central depository in Hostivař two years ago, is beginning to return to the idea of a new building that was meant to replace the large depository.

The UPM depository also addresses the long-standing lack of space in the historic building, which could only start the long-planned reconstruction after its establishment. While this will expand the museum's spaces, the museum's workplaces and their employees are moving to the new building.

The UPM depository is a new construction; other institutions established in previous centuries that utilize old buildings address their situations by extending older depositories. Very few institutions located in historic environments are fortunate enough to acquire a new building on site and new capacities without relocation. Sometimes spaces are lacking, but following the failure with the National Library's new building, there is also a lack of will or courage among those in charge.

Director of UPM Helena Koenigsmarková also stated today that the museum originally wanted to expand its spaces by utilizing the garden land, but heritage conservationists did not permit the construction.

Among institutions based in Prague, the National Technical Library (NTK) in Dejvice has a depository in its main building. However, it is one of the few public cultural buildings that have emerged in Prague in the last 25 years. The National Library (NK) has been calling for new spaces for years. However, the effort to build a new building did not succeed in its case.

Its opponents referred to the placement of a depository for millions of books underground, which the proposal's author circumvented competition conditions. However, other buildings, such as NTK, also have underground depositories. The planned science library in Ostrava, nicknamed the Black Cube, was also supposed to have one, but after decades of preparation, it failed due to political will. Another building that could integrate exhibition halls, offices, and a depository could have been the new building of the West Bohemian Gallery in Pilsen. The winning proposal, incidentally from the same studio as Kuba Pilař, was not constructed again by decision of regional politicians.

NK, with its new management, decided to address the lack of space by completing depositories in Hostivař. After their completion, they should house ten million books, while two million of the most frequently borrowed will remain in Klementinum. The central depository has indeed allowed the library to vacate several off-site storage facilities, but between Hostivař and Klementinum, a vehicle with books must travel twice daily. NK is now focusing on the heritage restoration of Klementinum, but voices are again being heard about the possible need for a new building. This is also mentioned in the new State Cultural Policy.

The document counts on the creation of a new investment program, which would, among other things, finance the construction of a new building for the National Technical Museum, the construction of a Railway Museum at Masaryk Station in Prague, the reconstruction of the Náprstek Museum, or the reconstruction of the Trade Fair Palace for the National Gallery. Since Jiří Fajt took over as director, there has also been strong calls for a new central depository; voices are also being raised demanding a new building for NG.

This year, a depository of the National Film Archive should open in Hradišťko near Prague. Depositories are also being built by institutions located outside Prague. Eight years ago, the Moravian Gallery opened its new depository in the Brno-Řečkovice district. Like in similar cases, it replaced several rented spaces and concentrated collections and various workplaces. The new cultural policy also counts on a central depository for the Technical Museum in Brno or an extension of the Moravian Regional Library depository in Brno.

In contrast, the Regional Gallery of Liberec acquired a depository attached to its historic building when it moved in 2014 to the building of the former city baths. The bathhouse reconstruction project from the Sial studio was awarded the Grand Prix of Architects, and the depository received the Prize of the Club for Old Prague as the most successful new building in a historic environment - just like the National Technical Library.