World Film Heritage will get a new home

The contract for construction of a new depository of the National Film Archive (NFA) was signed on March 5th by its representatives and the contracting company HOCHTIEF CZ. Repository for more than CZK 100 million will grow in central Bohemian village Hradištko. The construction will begin in mid-March.

One of the oldest and the most respected institutions of its type will move to a new, four-storey building that will serve primarily as a depository for film archival material. Part of the building will serve also as an office facility. Constructors from the company HOCHTIEF CZ will construct there large storage spaces that will be constantly tempered to a temperature of - 5 °C. The storerooms will be equipped by movable shelving system that will allow efficient use of the formed space. The new archive will be located on a plot of the existing depository from the 1990s and exterior of the new building will be fitted with architectural elements mainly in mild colour combinations.

“We appreciate that we can implement for the National Film Archive a completely new, modern building that will enable to the archive to continue in performing quality work and will thus support preservation and expansion of our film heritage collection. We are glad that we will thus become part of a significant part of our history,” said the member of the Executive Board of the company HOCHTIEF CZ Ing. Tomáš Koranda.

The NFA takes interest not only in archiving film materials; it is also involved in scientific and research activity, improvement of archiving processes and, last but not least, focuses on issuance of publications. Because of its historical knowledge and quality in the field it does not act only on our territory but its activities reach far beyond the borders of the Czech Republic both by historical and contemporary collaboration with other countries or when organizing and participating in international festivals and conferences.

“The film material is arguably the most reliable carrier and therefore the NFA for many years sought to build a depository that will ensure long-term preservation of our film heritage. ew depository will meet the highest standards of care and we get to the level of the most successful film archives in Europe thanks to it,” said the director of the NFA PhDr. Michal Bregant.

Commencement of implementation is planned for mid-March. Constructors from the company HOCHTIEF CZ plan to complete the new building by the end of the year.