The foundations of the new museum building in Turnov will begin on Monday

Turnov - The foundations of a new extension with a permanent climbing exhibition will begin to be poured on Monday at the Museum of the Czech Paradise in Turnov. Its opening is planned for June 2019, said the museum curator David Marek today to ČTK during the laying of the foundation stone.

The new three-storey building, costing approximately 40 million crowns, will be built on the site of the former café, workshops, connection hallway, and gallery. Only part of the outer walls of the gallery remains from these spaces. Demolition work has been ongoing since June, but only today was the foundation stone laid for the construction. “It didn’t make much sense to unveil the foundation stone when we were just demolishing. Essentially, construction is really starting now, so it felt like the foundation stone is being laid at the right time,” said Marek.

The building is expected to be completed by the summer of next year, after which the interior will still take nearly a year to finish, featuring an interactive climbing exhibition. “It will have a concept of various angles and polygons that should evoke a rock city,” said Marek. Different canyons and depressions will be created from wooden panels. “In this polygonal structure, showcases will be installed, and mainly various light effects and animations will be animated to evoke different stages of climbing,” Marek stated. Visitors will “climb” from small hills to eight-thousand-meter peaks in the exhibition.

A monumental painting titled "The Slaughter of the Saxons under Hrubá Skála" by Mikuláš Alš will also be part of the new exhibition, measuring ten meters long and 8.5 meters high. It is one of the largest oil paintings in Europe. Even during the demolition, the painting remained in place, covering a whole wall of the gallery for 40 years. Experts consider leaving the painting in place safer than removing it. A climate-controlled box protects the painting from destruction during construction work and dust, equipped with sensors that monitor temperature and humidity. The condition of the painting is checked by the museum's art historian three times a day. “So far, the painting is fine,” added Marek.

The museum has received a European grant for creating the permanent climbing exhibition. The project also includes modifications to the main museum building, atrium, and surroundings, including the garden.