Zprávy památkové péče 2019, 79(2):107-115 | DOI: 10.56112/zpp.2019.2.02

Repair and restoration of the facades of the National Museum in Prague - reflecting on current trends of care for heritage properties made of stone

Kateřina Adamcová

ÚDU FF UK

This polemically charged article attempts to critically evaluate the recently completed repair and restoration of the cladding of the historical building of the National Museum in Prague. It points out controversial moments that emerged from the overall concept of repairing this building, led by the attempt to "…return the historical building of the National Museum the appearance that it bore when it was created". This approach resulted in a group of stone elements and parts of the facades of the National Museum being surface cleaned to such an extent that not only were the traces of old age lost, including the patina, but also traces of the original stone and sculpture work. For the second group of elements, this concept resulted in their surface being covered with a top coat that even mimics the appearance of newly worked stone.
At the time the building was constructed, the opinion clearly prevailed that the material used, in this case the various types of sandstone that made up not only the decorative and sculptural decoration, but also a substantial part of the architectural elements, should be presented without any subsequent surface treatment, either as glazing or opaque form. This opinion was based not only on the period's relationship to the specific aesthetic effect of the material, perceived by the person as an indispensable quality; to the same extent it was a reflection of long-term experience in the field of restoration and reconstruction of artistic works made of stone.
The article further demonstrates that the selected concept of repairing the facades of the National Museum is equally inconsistent with how a heritage property was defined at the time. This was related to the structure of the specific values, including the value of age, as was formulated by Alois Reigl shortly after the completion of the National Museum in his work Der moderne Denkmalkultus. Sein wesen und seine Entstehung. The traces that time would leave on this building, including the fact that sandstone eventually acquires a natural patina that also testifies to the age of the building, were already part of the vision born by the author, architect Josef Schulz. In the design phase and subsequent realization of this extraordinarily important building.

Keywords: National Museum, fa ćade restoration, heritage value of age

Published: June 1, 2019  Show citation