Prague Plans New Exhibition in Old Town Hall Underground

With the planned reconstruction of the underground of the Old Town Hall, Prague is also preparing a new multimedia exhibition. Modern projections and audiovisual elements are intended to make the historic spaces accessible in a new way in the future.

The City of Prague is continuing preparations for the planned reconstruction of the underground of the Old Town Hall (Staroměstská radnice). At the same time, the municipal company Prague City Tourism is working on an extensive exhibition entitled “Strážci Prahy” (Guardians of Prague). The exhibition is to become part of the revitalised spaces and will in future expand the classic tours through the historic underground with modern audiovisual elements.

An innovative concept under the name “Guide 2.0” is planned. The traditional tour will be complemented by visual projections, videomapping and an extensive audiovisual staging. The guide will take on a more active role and control the multimedia content during the tour, turning the visit into a dynamic experience. According to current plans, visitors could explore the renewed underground area in around two years.

Foto: Prague.eu

Prague City Tourism aims to expand the existing offer with the project. “Together with the Prague City Hall, we want to expand our current tours and make new areas of the Old Town Hall accessible to visitors. In parallel with the revitalisation, we are preparing an elaborate audiovisual installation that will address, among other things, the history of medieval Prague,” said František Cipro, Chairman of the Board of Prague City Tourism. At the same time, he emphasised that it is an extensive system of corridors, many of which are currently not accessible.

The tours through the underground will continue to take place in groups. However, the guide will not only convey historical facts but will also actively trigger audiovisual elements during the tour, turning the visit into an immersive experience.

Foto: Prague.eu

“The underground itself is an exhibition object. The planned audiovisual installation will bring significant moments of Bohemian history to life with the help of modern multimedia technologies,” explained architect Jiří Mašek, who designed the exhibition concept. The exhibition will focus, among other things, on Romanesque houses, the development of Prague during the Gothic period, and the legend of the Prague Golem. Part of the exhibition will also be a new Golem sculpture by the sculptor Jaroslav Róna, which will be installed in the underground spaces of a former transformer station.

Structural adjustments are currently being prepared. Architect Tomáš Malinský is currently working on the project documentation, which is expected to be completed in the spring. The city then plans to launch a tender for the construction contract. The actual reconstruction could begin next year; a year later, the renewed underground and the new exhibition are expected to be open to the public.

The Old Town Hall (Staroměstská radnice) is one of the most important sights of the Czech capital. Last year, more than 444,000 people visited the complex. Around 67,000 of them took part in guided tours through the Romanesque-Gothic underground.