Operation

The Department of the Deputy Director of Operations is involved in many activities that are hidden from the eyes of visitors but are absolutely essential to the overall comfort of the building. The command staff and building managers are responsible for the mechanical rooms, ensuring a stable temperature, lighting and air conditioning, and the overall condition of the building with ongoing maintenance. They also perform all inspections and maintenance resulting from the contractor’s instructions. They handle the operational HelpDesk and are involved in the preparation of events held on the NM premises.

Cooling, ventilation and air conditioning is handled in the National Museum’s Historic Building. There are exhibition halls in the building where the HVAC equipment provides ventilation with fresh, filtered air. In the security, exhibition halls and depositories, full air conditioning is provided according to the required values. Technical areas are ventilated or cooled according to technological requirements, as well as ventilation of garages and ventilation of sanitary facilities and catering rooms. In the building, the glazed atria (halls) are designed to prevent condensation on the glass and steel structures. The ventilation system also provides fire ventilation for the protected escape routes and the evacuation lift.  

In total, 74 air handling units are located in the Historic Building. All are controlled remotely by a measurement and control system from the technical command post. Technicians set up and regularly check the system to ensure that the required standards are always met, both from a safety point of view and for the protection of the collections and the building. 

New in 2023 was the expansion of the fleet with a new Škoda Enyaq RS. The manufacturer claims a range of up to 545 km and fast charging from 10% capacity to 80% capacity in 28 minutes using a fast charger. In our conditions, however, this means about 7-8 hours to full charge (11kW charger).

The purchase of such a car also means preparation for its operation, and thus the installation of the charging equipment and the related agenda, such as preparation of firefighting documentation, identification of two places for electric cars in the garage of our New Building and preparation of a Fire Safety Solution for parking and charging of two electric cars. The Fire Rescue Service of the City of Prague issued a consent opinion and approved the operation of the charging station.

By selling products with the logo or design of the National Museum, we support the promotion and strengthening of our brand awareness. We produce practical and useful items that visitors can use every day or give as gifts.
The best-selling items are those with a lower price, such as stationery, pendants, magnets, mugs, etc. We have seen successful sales of items with images presented in a childlike way with mammoth or blue whale motifs. We have introduced products with motifs of objects from the collections of the National Museum displayed in the exhibition Baroque in Bavaria and Bohemia, such as fans, candles, chocolates, etc.

Probably the most important source of income is generated from the rental of free space. Each space rental is unique, which is why our sales department places great emphasis on carefully analysing the local market, monitoring the needs of the target group (companies from different sectors of the economy – automotive, banking and event agencies) and adapting the offer flexibly where possible. Rental income consists of long-term rentals of business premises and short-term rentals of premises.

The National Museum is not just a complex of buildings on Wenceslas Square in Prague, but a collection of many buildings. Some of them are open to the public, intended for the presentation of the National Museum’s collections, others are primarily intended as depositories where cultural heritage is preserved for future generations. The Náprstek Museum is one of those publicly accessible buildings.

The year 2023 was marked by the continuation of the preparations for the project of the Náprstek Museum depository in the premises in Horní Počernice towards the issuance of a building permit. Detailed materials on the volumes of the collections and furnishings were prepared for the future tender for the logistics of the move from the Náprstek Museum to Horní Počernice and submitted to the NM Building Department. An important update of the fire safety solution in the Náprstek Museum was carried out and a solution was proposed that is needed even in a situation where the building is about to be renovated.

During the year, the newly leased premises at Zbraslav Castle were also being prepared for the Historical Museum of the National Museum, where researchers and collections will be moved from the former Švýcárna in Prague 5, which will be returned to the capital city of Prague. It was necessary to make structural modifications to the castle building so that it not only suited us, but also met the strict requirements of the PBŘ and the building authority, which was achieved in a very short time.