The Kinsky Palace, a Baroque jewel on Prague’s Old Town Square, will close to the public this summer for an extensive year-long renovation, the National Gallery Prague (NGP) confirmed.

As a result, the iconic site will not host any exhibitions in 2025.

The reconstruction, estimated at 60 million CZK, will be funded through a subsidy from the Czech Ministry of Culture, according to NGP spokesperson Jana Holcová, speaking to ČTK.

The original plan was limited to installing a barrier-free entrance, but the project has since expanded significantly.

“The renovation will cover two entrance portals, new flooring, updated heating and electrical systems, window replacements, and a modern elevator to improve accessibility,” Holcová said. The upgrades will focus primarily on the exhibition halls on the second and third floors.

The bookstore in the palace shut down operations on June 1 to prepare for the closure. Staff and furniture will be relocated, with some employees temporarily moved to the Veletržní Palace and other gallery locations. A limited number of staff will remain on site throughout the works.

Constructed between 1755 and 1765, the Kinsky Palace—originally known as the Golz-Kinsky Palace—stands on layers of Romanesque and Gothic foundations.

Its uniform roof and sculpted façade make it one of the most recognizable buildings on Old Town Square. While initially attributed to Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer, who died in 1751, scholars now believe the building was designed and constructed under the direction of Anselmo Lurago.

Beyond this renovation, the NGP is planning an even more ambitious investment: a new depository in Jinonice, near the Nové Butovice metro station.

With 2.2 billion CZK allocated from the Ministry of Culture, the facility will help relieve pressure on the Veletržní Palace, allowing for its future modernization. “We expect to complete the tender documentation and choose a construction contractor this year,” Holcová stated.

Meanwhile, a new permanent exhibition—Art of Asia Across Space and Time—is scheduled to open at Salmovský Palace. Originally planned for late April, the opening has been postponed to October 17 due to logistical and curatorial delays.

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