In Bečov, they already know the design of the new exhibition for the relic of St. Maurus

author: SGL project

Bečov nad Teplou (Karlovy Vary Region) - The State Castle and Chateau in Bečov nad Teplou already knows the future form of the new exhibition, to which it wants to relocate the reliquary of St. Maurus in two years after completing the necessary modifications. In the architectural competition organized by the National Heritage Institute, the design by the Prague studio SGL projekt was selected. The new exhibition solution will allow visitors to meditate by the reliquary for a longer period of time. The project also considers children and pilgrims, said the custodian of the Bečov area, Tomáš Wizovský, in a press release today.
   "The new solution will enable the preparation of an exhibition that will develop the individual stories of the reliquary. From its creation in the early 13th century and the fate of St. Maurus, through the journey of the reliquary to the Czech lands in the 19th century and its hiding before the end of World War II, to its detective discovery and subsequent restoration," said Wizovský. The new spaces will also allow for an expansion of the exhibition, for example, with unique items related to restoration.
   "Visitors who wish to meditate will be able to stay by the reliquary for a longer time or return to it," added the custodian. Currently, visitors can only spend a limited amount of time by the reliquary in the vault room of the chateau.
   The new exhibition is being created as part of the model restoration of the entire castle complex. Ideally, it could be made accessible to the public as early as 2017. The aim of the architectural competition was to create a visual concept for an accessible exhibition of the monument in the so-called Pluhov houses. The visualization by the SGL projekt studio was selected from nine submitted projects by a jury composed of independent experts and specialists from the National Heritage Institute.
   According to the chairwoman Blanka Kreibichová from the National Technical Museum, the jury appreciated that light plays a key role in the design. The vault room where the reliquary is stored adds an atmosphere of a temple space. In contrast, the other interiors where the exhibition will be placed retain a stark character, as they themselves are monuments. At the same time, the jury appreciated that the proposal meets the requirements for visitor operations. For example, visitors will be able to choose between a short and a long route through the exhibition.