On 29 September 2020, it will be 5 years since the National Technical Museum opened the NTM Plasy Building Heritage Centre. In the premises of the restored industrial monument, the former economic background of the Plasy monastery, a unique exhibition on the history of construction was built. The NTM Plasy Building Heritage Centre will celebrate its fifth anniversary on the long weekend of 26-28 September 2020. Visitors are invited to guided tours and admission for a symbolic CZK 5
The National Technical Museum has opened the NTM Building Heritage Centre after a successful project co-financed by European funds. The economic background of the former monastery – brewery, malt house, mill and farmyard – has undergone a challenging monument restoration. In the restored premises, a modern museum has been built, which offers five expositions dedicated to construction, crafts and architecture, supplemented by a construction playground and a statics exhibition. In five years, more than 100,000 visitors have come to the Building Heritage Centre, contributing significantly to the revitalisation of the city, among other things.
“The NTM Plasy Building Heritage Centre is a project that has not only absolutely transformed the centre of Plasy, but has contributed significantly to the further development of this place, which is now one of the region’s major tourist centres,” recalls Karel Ksandr, Director General of the National Technical Museum.
Admission is a symbolic CZK 5 per person and guided tours
On the extended weekend of 26-28 September, interested persons can visit the Centre of Building Heritage of the NTM Plasy for a symbolic admission fee of CZK 5. “Snippets from the Expositions”, a series of thematic guided tours, will present the Exposition of Architecture from different angles. The number of places on each tour is limited. We therefore recommend that those interested book the guided tours – for more information visit the website of the Centre of Building Heritage NTM Plasy
www.muzeum-plasy.cz.
Overview of awards for the project Centre of Building Heritage in Plasy
In 2015, the National Technical Museum received an award for the project in the National Museum Competition Gloria Musaealis in the category of Project of the Year. In 2017, the Centre of Building Heritage was nominated for the Luigi Micheletti Award, awarded by the European Museum Academy, and a year later it received the special Živa Award 2018, awarded by the Forum of Slavic Cultures. The challenging monument restoration was also awarded – the Centre of Building Heritage was named Building of the Year of the Pilsen Region 2015 in the category of building reconstruction.
Museum of Building Heritage
The modern museum exhibition in the industrial environment of the former brewery attractively and clearly presents the historical development of building elements, materials and structures. The museum also includes the “cabinet” of architect Jan Kaplický. The unique exhibition dedicated to this important personality opens up a view of modern architectural creation for visitors. Young visitors can enjoy the “Building Playground” in the former brewery, where they can exercise their own building creativity, and Statika hrarou, an interactive exhibition dedicated to the principles of statics.
“I see one of the greatest strengths of the exhibition as its many layers. Our experience shows that it can attract a wide range of visitors, from families with children to visitors who are building professionally,” says Karel Ksandr.
As part of the workshops and programmes for schools and the public, there is also a Building Crafts Court with an installation of historical craft workshops. Visitors can also find a unique exhibition presenting the discipline of building history research on the oldest structures on the site.
An exhibition of medieval construction machinery will be added in 2022
“I am very pleased that the NTM Plasy Building Heritage Centre is a success with visitors. Together with the series of awards that the National Technical Museum has received for the project, this is a confirmation of a job well done,” says Karel Ksandr, adding: “However, our gaze is already looking to the future. We will be expanding the NTM Plasy Building Heritage Centre with a new exhibition of medieval construction machinery, which will be dominated by a massive, hand-hewn pedal crane. The exhibition will open in 2022.”
The exposition of medieval construction machinery, which focuses on the presentation of period technologies and craftsmanship, will be made available in the former brewery refrigerator. Key exhibits will include a replica of a medieval crane, powered by human power, and a battering ram designed to drive poles to reinforce buildings.
The NTM Plasy Centre of Building Heritage is also a recognised expert centre
The NTM Plasy Building Heritage Centre is a unique centre for the presentation, documentation and lifelong learning in areas related to building history and traditional construction. It is a venue for a number of conferences and workshops. The NTM Plasy Centre of Building Heritage is also involved in a number of scientific research projects and is part of the newly emerging European network of materiateks – institutions caring for collections of building elements.
www.ntm.cz
www.muzeum-plasy.cz
Press release of the National Technical Museum, 23 September 2020.
Contact:
Bc. Jan Duda
Head of PR and Public Relations Department
Email: jan.duda@ntm.cz
Mob: +420 770 121 917
National Technical Museum
Kostelní 42, 170 00 Prague 7
