In the 14th year of the National Competition Gloria musaealis, the National Technical Museum received the highest award in the competition category Museum Achievement of the Year 2015 for the successful completion of the project “Centre of Building Heritage Plasy”. The competition is announced by the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, the Association of Museums and Galleries of the Czech Republic and now also by the Czech ICOM Committee. In the category of Museum Publication of the Year, the National Technical Museum and the National Heritage Institute were jointly successful with the publication “The Castle with the Smell of Petrol” by Miloš Hořejš and Jiří Křížek

The Centre of Building Heritage Plasy was opened by the National Technical Museum in the newly renovated heritage-worthy space of the economic background of the monastery in Plasy. The unique project covers a number of activities, the most important of which can be considered three areas: the creation of the first exhibition of construction in the Czech Republic, the establishment of a study depository of building materials, elements and structures and finally the construction of a building yard with specialised workshops for historical building crafts. Each of these three areas is aimed at a specific group of visitors. The construction exhibition is primarily aimed at a wide range of visitors, including families with children and schools, who will learn about the process of building a historic house, starting with the preparation of the building, building its foundations, through the rough construction, all the surfaces, windows and doors, heating and other necessary components up to the roof. The various structural components are documented on historic building primers as well as on models or photographic and film documentation. The aforementioned study repository under construction is then primarily intended for interested parties in the field: university students or all workers who come into contact with historic buildings. The craftsmen’s workshops then begin to serve two main purposes: both the effort to preserve and further the practical transmission of the fading knowledge of historical techniques to those interested in historical craftsmanship today, and the introduction of lay visitors to the work of historical craftsmen. The site also provides other educational opportunities: conference facilities, workshops and a branch library under construction. The entire project, which has saved a number of unique buildings, including the Romanesque-Gothic-Baroque farmyard, was funded by the European Union’s Integrated Operational Programme.

The Gloria musaealis competition is announced in three main categories: Museum Exhibition of the Year, Museum Publication of the Year and Museum Achievement of the Year, and this year a total of 72 museums and galleries from all over the country entered the competition with 80 projects. The winners of the 14th National Museum Competition Gloria musaealis 2015 were announced on 18 May 2016, International Museum Day, in the Smetana Hall of the Municipal House in Prague.

The award, which the National Technical Museum received, consists of a trophy, a diploma and a financial award of CZK 70,000. This is the third highest award for the National Technical Museum in this competition. In 2014, the NTM was awarded first place in the Museum Achievement of the Year 2013 category for the project “National Technical Museum Completed” and in 2007, first place in the Museum Achievement of the Year 2006 category for the project “New Depository of the National Technical Museum in Čelákovice”.

Mgr. Adam Dušek
Head of PR and Public Relations Department
Email: adam.dusek@ntm.cz
Mob: +420 774 426 828
National Technical Museum
Kostelní 42, 170 78, Prague 7

Mgr. Pavel Kodera, Ph.D.
Project Coordinator Centre of Building Heritage in Plasy
Email: pavel.kodera@ntm.cz
Tel.: 373 300 734 / mobile: 777 190 734
National Technical Museum CSD,
Pivovarská 5, 331 01 Plasy