Prague's Industrial Palace reopens after reconstruction and rebuilding of the burned-down wing

The Industrial Palace at Prague's Výstaviště exhibition grounds is reopening to visitors after years of reconstruction. The central hall and right wing of the building have been restored, while the left wing — destroyed by fire in 2008 — has been completely rebuilt from scratch, according to Výstaviště Praha.

"The Industrial Palace is the dominant feature of the entire Výstaviště complex and one of the city's most impressive buildings. I see its restoration after the devastating 2008 fire as a debt repaid to future generations," said Prague city councillor for municipal property Adam Zabranský (Pirates). According to him, reopening the palace should significantly boost the financial performance of the entire exhibition complex.

Thousands of specialists and rare crafts

Restoration work began in January 2022. Up to 2,000 people were involved in the project overall — builders, designers and technical experts, along with restorers, carpenters, painters, blacksmiths, plasterers, tinsmiths, stained-glass artisans, jewellers and clockmakers.

The complexity of the work stemmed from the fact that over more than 130 years the building had undergone numerous alterations and technical changes, some of which were never documented. Specialists could only assess the true condition of certain structures after removing later additions. A particular obstacle was the so-called "Smetanov" extension from the 1950s, which concealed the original steel framework. Builders also had to contend with utility networks not marked on any plans and foundations in poor condition.

"The renovated palace will significantly expand Prague's capacity to host major international congresses and conferences," noted Tomáš Slabihoudek (TOP 09), Prague city councillor for culture, tourism, heritage protection and exhibitions.

A new wing, a clock tower and a painted ceiling

One of the central elements of the project was rebuilding the burned-down left wing: its new steel structure mirrors the proportions and appearance of the historic right wing while meeting modern load-bearing and safety standards. Beneath the wing, a new basement now houses technical facilities, storage areas and a truck entrance, meant to simplify logistics when preparing large exhibitions.

The most demanding restoration work took place in the central hall, the palace's most ceremonial space. There, restorers worked on the steel structure dating from 1891: some elements were preserved, while others had to be replaced due to corrosion. Previously lost features have returned to the façade and tower — attics, spires, coats of arms and the Saint Wenceslas Crown atop the tower.

Special attention went to the clock tower, standing roughly 51 metres tall and weighing about 26 tonnes — it was fully dismantled, restored and reinstalled together with its historic clock mechanism, dials and hands.

One of the most delicate restoration stages was reviving the painted wooden ceiling of the central hall, covering about 2,737 square metres and made up of 1,232 boards arranged in 77 panels. Each board was numbered during removal so it could be returned to its exact original position, with restorers aiming to preserve as much original material as possible rather than produce a copy based on old photographs.

Another hallmark of the renewed building is its stained glass: 5,023 glass panels covering a total area of 2,256 square metres, made up of more than 107,700 individual pieces of glass. They were removed and restored at the specialist glass workshop Kolektiv Ateliers in Nový Bor, which recreated the historic colours and processing techniques.

Modern systems inside a historic building

Beyond the restoration work, the palace has been fitted with modern engineering systems: a combination of underfloor and air-based heating and cooling, fan coil units, split systems and classic radiators. The building is equipped with six plant rooms — four in the left wing and two in the right — with the central hall supplied from both sides. Heating and cooling are partly powered by 70 boreholes for heat pumps.

Modern ventilation and fire safety systems have also been installed, including sprinklers, water mist systems, smoke compartmentalisation, emergency lighting, local battery backups and diesel generators.

The first major event at the renovated palace, in autumn 2026, will be the Designblok exhibition. After that, the Industrial Palace will resume its regular role as a trade fair venue, hosting congresses, cultural events and other large-scale gatherings.

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Source: prazskypatriot.cz