An Art Nouveau iron-and-glass building at the Prague Exhibition Grounds, built for the Jubilee Land Exhibition of 1891 and restored in 2026 after the fire of 2008.*

In front of the Industrial Palace during the Jubilee Land Exhibition, 1891
In front of the Industrial Palace during the Jubilee Land Exhibition, 1891Photo: František Krátký (1851–1924), 1891 · public domain · Wikimedia Commons

The Industrial Palace is an exhibition building at the Prague Exhibition Grounds. It was built for the Jubilee Land Exhibition in 1891 and combines traditional architecture with a prefabricated steel structure.[1] According to the National Heritage Institute, it was the central pavilion of the exhibition.[3]

Construction

The palace was designed by the architect Bedřich Münzberger. The structure of the central part was designed by František Prášil, an engineer at the First Bohemian-Moravian Machine Factory (První českomoravská továrna na stroje).[1] Construction took ten months and employed 450 workers.[2] The steel structure itself was erected by 150 fitters in five months.[1] It was the first use of a prefabricated iron structure in the Czech lands.[2]

The building consists of a central hall and two side wings attached to it at right angles. The top of the main tower is 51 metres high.[1] The side façades have figural windows with allegories of Industry and Science, based on cartoons by Mikoláš Aleš.[1] The interiors were remodelled in 1907 by Josef Fanta, and in 1952–1954 the palace underwent a reconstruction to a design by Pavel Smetana.[1]

Industrial Palace, 2008
Industrial Palace, 2008Photo: Tony Hisgett, 2008 · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Fire and restoration

On 16 October 2008, a fire destroyed the left wing of the palace. The central hall and the right wing were preserved.[5] Restoration began in January 2022.[1] The works were taken over by a consortium led by Metrostav DIZ together with Avers and Syner; the contract price was about CZK 2.64 billion and completion was planned within three years.[4] The total cost eventually reached about CZK 3 billion.[2]

During the restoration, the central hall and the right wing were repaired and a new left wing was built.[1] Unlike the original, it has a full basement. The ceiling of the central hall, with an area of 2,737 m², consists of 1,232 boards in 77 bays, and more than 2,300 m² of stained glass was restored.[2]

Reopening in 2026

After the reconstruction, the palace opened on 24 September 2026. It is intended mainly for exhibitions, trade fairs, congresses and large conferences.[2]

Chronology

  • — The Industrial Palace at the Prague Exhibition Grounds was reopened after a reconstruction and the rebuilding of the left wing, which was destroyed by fire in 2008. ČT24 iDNES.cz, Praha

Pages that link here

Sources

  1. Výstaviště Praha
  2. ČT24 — 24 September 2026
  3. Národní památkový ústav — 21 July 2026
  4. Pražský deník — 1 February 2022
  5. TZB-info — 27 December 2017