The building of the Museum of Applied Arts will be closed from January

Prague - The historic building of the Museum of Applied Arts in Prague (UPM) is set for a general reconstruction. The permanent exhibition "Stories of Materials," showcasing the development of artistic crafts and applied arts from antiquity to the present, will last until January 4. The exhibition "Inside and Out," mapping fashion trends in the development of artificial fibers in the second half of the 20th century, will be accessible until January 11. Then the building will be closed for two years.
    "On this date, we will end all presentation activities in the historic building," said UPM spokeswoman Jana Ulipová to ČTK. She reminded that the building's reconstruction, built between 1897 and 1901 according to architect Josef Schulze's design, began this June with the repair of the roof and attic spaces, still under visitor operations.
    The general renovation, expected to be completed by the end of 2016, will, according to Ulipová, result in a threefold increase in exhibition space and a twofold increase in space for the permanent exhibition. "All historical spaces, currently used as storage, will be renovated. Improved visitor services will be enabled by an additional entrance from Široká Street and access to the previously closed museum garden," she added.
    In the new side hall, the reconstruction will allow for the expansion of the museum shop, cloakroom, and café. Modern workplaces for some employees will be created in the attic space, while others will utilize new spaces in the Central Depository being built simultaneously in Stodůlky.
    "In essence, this is more about rehabilitating the historic building and its period elements," noted the spokeswoman. All collections will be stored in a new depository with energy-efficient building parameters. Collections will start moving there by the end of the year. The first exhibition in the historic building will be accessible in 2017.
    Even during the necessary closure of the historic building, extensive collections will be presented at other locations. UPM opened an exhibition of Art Nouveau/Vital Art 1900 at the Municipal House last year, which will be accessible throughout next year. The museum is showcasing an exceptional exhibition of 20th-century furniture design at the castle in Kamenice nad Lipou. The largest collection of glass with European and Czech provenance, numbering around 1,100 pieces, has been loaned by UPM for the exhibition at the castle of Světlá nad Sázavou. At the same time, due to close collaboration with the National Heritage Institute, visitors to Vranov nad Dyjí Castle can admire an exhibition of European stoneware starting in June.
    "This year, the museum has also prepared exhibitions from its collections for China, Japan, South Korea, and the USA, which will travel there until 2017," added Ulipová.