Prague library wants an architectural competition for the modernization of its main headquarters

Prague – The Municipal Library of Prague (MKP) would like to announce an architectural competition for the renovation of its main headquarters at Mariánské náměstí. The intention is to produce a design for better utilization of the interior spaces of the building from 1928, which would correspond to the current needs of the library. CTK was informed of this by the organization's spokesperson Lenka Hanzlíková. This week, the library celebrated its 135th anniversary since its founding. Its branches are gradually transforming more into community centers, organizing various activities for visitors.

"I would like to renew work on the conceptual assignment for the architectural competition for the renovation of the Central Library, which will celebrate its hundredth anniversary since its establishment and 30 years since the last major renovation in 2028. This largest library in our network, located at a premium address, deserves a new impulse," said MKP director Tomáš Řehák. It is not clear when the competition might be announced. According to Hanzlíková, it is currently a vision toward which the organization is striving.

The requirements for the use of spaces have changed significantly over the last hundred years, according to the spokesperson. The library now includes not only shelves of books but also multifunctional halls, a coworking space called Dílna, a studio for recording and processing online content, a department dedicated to Prague, a creative center, and a children's group called Kolibříci, Hanzlíková listed, adding that participants in the competition could propose better uses for these mentioned spaces. For example, the halls in the basement or the bistro could, according to Hanzlíková, be newly connected to the rooms where books are stored.

During the modernization, MKP also wants to renew technology. "The building must function unconditionally on a daily basis – ventilate, heat, offer a pleasant space for visitors, students, readers, and staff, have good infrastructure for technologies without which the operation of the library in the 21st century cannot do without," added Hanzlíková.

She also emphasized that the designs must take into account that part of the Central Library building includes the mayor's residence, exhibition spaces of the Gallery of the Capital City of Prague, and the Puppet Theater Říše loutek.

The Central Library building was constructed from 1925 to 1928 according to the design of architect František Roith. The construction was financed by the Prague Municipal Savings Bank as a jubilee gift to the capital city on the occasion of its 60th anniversary and in honor of the tenth anniversary of Czechoslovakia. It was one of the most modern library buildings in Europe, and the mayor's residence has been part of it from the beginning. It occupies the entire first and second floors of the library's front section. The city uses the residence as representative spaces.

Since 1998, a work titled Idiom by Matěj Kréna has been placed in the foyer of the building. This column made of 8,000 books and topped on both sides with mirrors has attracted great interest from tourists thanks to its popularity on social networks.

MKP is established by the capital city and is the largest public library in the Czech Republic in terms of the number of readers and loans. Its library collection is the third largest in the Czech Republic, after the National Library in Prague and the Moravian Regional Library in Brno. It contains 1.7 million library units. In Prague, it operates 45 traditional branches, three unattended kiosks, and one mobile library vehicle. By the end of 2025, it was expected to have 169,000 registered readers and manage approximately 475 million crowns.

Branches offer readers community activities in addition to lending books and other media. At the DOK 16 branch, a neighborhood workshop has been created, at the Atelier on Jezerce, interested individuals engage in sewing, and libraries are gathering places for fans of the Star Wars series, detective Sherlock Holmes, and The Lord of the Rings. Some newer branches are connected to a café.