Prague is looking for a company to renovate the House of Search in Hradčany. It will be a museum
After the reconstruction, a permanent exhibition of the Museum of Memory of the 20th Century will be created in the House of Pages in Hradčany. century. Photo: muzeum20stoleti.cz
At Monday’s meeting, the Prague councilors approved the plan for a public contract for the building renovations of the building in Kanovnická Street in Prague 1, where the XX Memory Museum is located. century. As part of the reconstruction, for example, the plan is to replace the roofing, rehabilitate the floors, build an elevator or install audiovisual, data, communication and security systems for the upcoming exhibition spaces. The expected value of the order is approximately 50 million crowns without VAT.
On the basis of the invited competition, in 2021 the IXA studio was chosen as the designer to prepare the documentation for the building permit for the partial reconstruction of the Domu patrat building for the Museum of Memory of the XX. century, of which it is the founding capital. The prepared plan finally received a valid building permit in the middle of June this year.
Now the Prague councilors have agreed to announce a public contract for the building modifications themselves. The plan is, for example, to replace the roof covering, rehabilitate the ground floor floors, and also restore plaster or sewerage, or build an elevator that will ensure barrier-free operation.
Directly for the needs of the Museum of Memory XX. century, audio-visual, data, communication and security systems should also be installed in individual spaces.
The building in Hradčany was last renovated in the 1970s, according to Prague councilor for property management Jan Chabra (TOP 09), it was not carried out sensitively.
“The planned reconstruction will also concern electrical engineering, low-current and high-current distribution systems, so that the object meets the parameters of a functional space of the 21st century, but also to create exhibition areas for museum visitors. As for the implementation, we are waiting for the tender for the supplier at the turn of this year and next year, and the building should be repaired in the second half of next year,” said Chabr.
Within two years, the museum team headed by Petr Blažek and other historians wants to create an exhibition here focusing on key events connected with totalitarian regimes in the 20th century on the territory of Czechoslovakia.
“The aim of the museum founded by Prague is to preserve historical memory, commemorate the opponents and victims of totalitarian regimes and contribute to the understanding of models of authoritarian rule. In the upcoming exhibition, you will learn, for example, about the road to Sovietization, the changes in Prague in the 20th century or the former prison in Kapucínská Street,” shared councilor for the area of legislation Hana Kordová Marvanová (for STAN), who is also the chairwoman of the board of directors of the XX Museum of Memory. century.
According to her, the long-term purpose of the capital city is to create a modern memory institution on its territory focusing on key events of the 20th century on the territory of Czechoslovakia, following the example of important foreign museum institutions, which include the Museum of the Warsaw Uprising in Warsaw, Museum II. World War II in Gdańsk, the House of Terror in Budapest, the Topography of Terror in Berlin, the Holocaust Museum in Washington or Yad Vashem in Jerusalem.