Museum history
Museum history
The Centre for Building Heritage of the National Technical Museum in Plasy
The Centre for Building Heritage in Plasy was opened on September 29, 2015. For the National Technical Museum, this marked a major milestone. The establishment of the Centre significantly enhanced the value of the museum’s building collection, which has been developed since 1908—the year the museum was founded.
The idea to create this unique institution emerged ten years earlier. Plasy was selected as the location for this initiative—aimed at developing an exhibition on construction, complete with a study depository and material library—thanks to its historically unique site. The complex had never been fully completed, making it a living textbook of architectural history.
The heritage restoration project called the Centre for Building Heritage in Plasy was carried out from 2009 to autumn 2015 with support from EU Structural Funds. It involved the adaptation of two severely deteriorated, yet culturally significant, parts of the former monastery’s economic background—the brewery and the farmstead.
A unique institution was created, combining the museum’s presentation and educational roles with hands-on activities aimed at a broad audience.
The permanent exhibition on construction guides visitors throughout the former brewery and introduces them to the issues of historical building components, materials, and structures. For young visitors, there is a “construction playground” where they can express their building creativity. The exhibition spaces are complemented by areas for thematic exhibitions.
In the farmstead complex, spaces were created for teaching traditional skills and methods in period-furnished workshops. In the oldest part of the site, a unique exhibition on building-historical research presents the methods and procedures for investigating historical buildings in situ (on the original site).
The Centre continues to grow. Over the past ten years, additional exhibitions have been added, and numerous public events and professional conferences have been held. Education has become a cornerstone of the Centre’s mission—reaching audiences ranging from young children to students of vocational schools. The Centre for Building Heritage has become a fully-fledged institution that is respected even on an international level.
From the beginning, integration with the local community was part of the plan, and the creation of the Centre was supported by the town of Plasy. The Centre now houses the municipal library; a microbrewery and a new café have contributed to revitalizing the area. The entire monastery complex, undergoing gradual restoration, has become a prominent tourist destination.
The Centre has received numerous prestigious awards. In the 2013 Building of the Year of the Pilsen Region competition, it received the Governor’s Award. In the 2015 Gloria Musaealis competition, it won the top prize in the Museum Achievement of the Year category for successfully completing the Centre for Building Heritage project. The Centre was also ranked among the best architectural accomplishments of 2014 and 2015. In 2017, the National Technical Museum and the Centre were nominated for the Micheletti Prize 2017, placing them among Europe’s museum elite. The following year, the Centre also received a special Živa Award for “effective use of resources.”
The Centre for Building Heritage in Plasy fosters respect for architectural heritage, deepens understanding of building history, passes on traditional skills, and offers inspiration and enjoyment.
History of the Site
The project for the Centre for Building Heritage was realized in the complex of the former monastery in Plasy, located in northern Pilsen Region. It is one of Central Europe’s most significant monastic complexes. Cistercian monks were brought here shortly before the mid-12th century by Prince Vladislav II. The monastic order soon began cultivating the surrounding lands. However, the development of the monastery was interrupted for a long time by the Hussite Wars—buildings were destroyed, and the monastic community was either killed or scattered.
Change came after the Battle of White Mountain, when Emperor Ferdinand II returned land to the monks, initiating a new phase of development. The monastery began to flourish again, and after essential repairs, a period of bold construction projects began. In the final two decades of the 17th century, under Abbot Ondřej Trojer, a grand new prelature and an elegant monastery granary with a clock tower were built, based on designs by renowned architect Jean Baptiste Mathey. Trojer’s successor, Abbot Evžen Tyttl, invited another celebrated architect—Jan Blažej Santini—to Plasy. Santini developed a grand plan for a radical reconstruction of the monastery buildings, including a new church. One part of this ambitious plan was realized in the first half of the 18th century—a majestic convent building founded on a sophisticated oak foundation system that stabilized the swampy terrain.
In 1785, Emperor Joseph II issued a decree abolishing the monastery. The monks had to leave, and the prosperous estate came under the administration of the State Religious Fund. Forty years later, the estate was purchased by the Imperial Chancellor, Prince Metternich, who established a cast-iron foundry in Plasy. He converted the former prelature into a château and the old parish church into his family tomb. The Metternich family owned the Plasy monastery complex until the end of World War II, when it was confiscated.
The heritage-listed buildings were subsequently used for various administrative and agricultural purposes and fell into considerable disrepair. However, during the first decade of the 21st century, the state gradually managed to acquire these buildings and began systematically restoring them. In 2008, the National Technical Museum took over the construction buildings of the former monastic economic complex. It was in this location—the site of the old brewery and the farmstead—that the Centre for Building Heritage project was realized.