The National Technical Museum has opened a branch in Plasy

Prague - A remarkable project of the National Technical Museum in Prague (NTM) is the construction of the Center for Architectural Heritage in Plasy, which is set to open in the complex of the former Cistercian monastery in 2014. According to General Director Horimir Kubíček, the budget for the reconstruction, along with exhibition costs, amounts to 572 million crowns. The museum has already made the Baroque granary with a two-storey Gothic royal chapel accessible to the public.
    "The aim is to utilize the impressive spaces for exhibitions and at the same time present this national cultural monument as an artifact of architectural heritage," said Daniel Kamas, head of the presentation department, in a press release. The facility will be open until September, every Tuesday to Sunday from 09:00 to 17:00. Admission is 30 crowns, with a common discount of ten crowns less.
    According to Kamas, visitors can look forward to the newly accessible ground floor chapel of St. Wenceslas decorated with unique medieval paintings. The visitor circuit will take them to the remarkable upper chapel of St. Mary Magdalene, explore the cellars beneath the granary, and the Baroque tower with a clock mechanism from 1686.
    "In the northern wing of the granary, there is an exhibition titled 'The Birth of a Miracle' showcasing various restoration techniques. It was prepared in collaboration with the School of Restoration of the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague," Kamas stated.
    On the ground floor of the granary, visitors can learn about the goals and current direction of the National Technical Museum, including the upcoming project for the Center for Architectural Heritage. The main effort is to restore primarily the agricultural buildings of the unique monastic complex. The planned study repository with development series of construction elements, a craft workshop practicing traditional construction crafts, an experiential exhibition of historical construction, and conference facilities aim to ensure that the center becomes a vibrant meeting place for all those interested in architectural history.
    The NTM building in Prague's Letná is undergoing a long-term reconstruction. Last autumn, the second phase was completed, and the museum received 131 million crowns for the adjustment and construction of exhibitions. "We expect to open by September 2010 at the latest, which will mark 100 years since the opening of our first collections in Prague," Kubíček told CTK at the time.
    The reconstruction began in 2003, with gradual opening of exhibitions planned for 2009 to 2010. The goal is to restore the building in line with the original vision of architect Milan Babuška from the 1930s. The cancellation of earlier building modifications has created four new exhibition halls and two smaller halls for temporary exhibitions on the ground floor and in the basement. For the first time, NTM will feature exhibitions on printing and on architecture, construction, and design, the transport hall and the ore and coal mine will be modernized, and the exhibitions on astronomy and photographic and film technology will be expanded.