Our project
„Return of Historic Airplanes to Glorious Hangars No. V and VI AERO at Letnany“
In cooperation with the Military History Institute in Prague (VHU), LOM PRAHA s.p. is trying to preserve a unique group of historic buildings on the premises of former company AERO, located at Prague-Letnany airport, and called Stará Aerovka (“Old Aero”). Titled as the “group of buildings of the AERO Kbely premises”, the site has been designated by the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic as an immovable cultural monument, and therefore is registered in the most widely-known and publicly acknowledged part of the Central List of Cultural Landmarks of the Czech Republic. The process of designation as an immovable cultural monument was completed on November 21, 2001 (Register No. in the Central List: 104539), however, it is only the first step in the effort to preserve this group of buildings, consisting of four historic hangars and their connecting parts. The submitted project focuses on hangars No. V and VI. which are in state of disrepair directly threatening their existence. Therefore LOM PRAHA s.p. strives to preserve these two hangars and implement the joint project together with the VHU, enabling not only preservation of the immovable cultural monument, but also safe deposit and preservation of the country’s movable cultural heritage held in trust by the VHU as the museum-type collection registered by the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic in the Central Register of Collections, No. HUA/002-05-09/171002.
On June 19, 2014, together with the Military History Institute in Prague LOM PRAHA s.p. submitted their application for EEA and Norway Grants named “Return of Historic Airplanes to Glorious Hangars No. V and VI AERO at Letnany”, Reg.No. EHP-CZ06-OV-1-176-01-2014, within the programme CZ06 – “Cultural Heritage and Contemporary Art”, programme area PA16 – “Preservation and Revitalization of Natural and Cultural Heritage.”
In total, 209 grant applications were submitted, out of which 26 applications were recommended for verification by the evaluation committee and subsequently approved by the Ministry of Finance. One of the approved grant applications is the afore-mentioned grant application, “Return of Historic Airplanes to Glorious Hangars No. V and VI AERO at Letnany”.
The objective of the project is complete reconstruction of the two most threatened hangars, which, in cooperation with the VHU, will allow for creation of a unique museum complex on the Stara Aerovka premises. The complex will be based on the original purpose of the individual buildings, part of which will also be returning historic airplanes produced in the AERO company to the place where they were manufactured. The reconstruction will be executed in accordance with the requirements for the heritage protection. The project will follow the historical procedures and technology used in the original construction of the buildings to the maximum extent possible.
Project Funding:
| Total project costs: | 34 634 318 CZK (incl. VAT) |
| Total eligible costs: | 28 623 403 CZK (excl. VAT) |
| Approved grant funding: | 22 898 722 CZK bez DPH (excl. VAT) – 80 % |
| Co-financing: | 5 724 681 CZK (excl. VAT) |
| Non-eligible costs: | 6 010 915 CZK |
Project Stages:
Project Management (December 1, 2014 – April 30, 2016)
In accordance with the defined project intention, the project management controls the project during the whole process of its realization. Each member has clearly defined responsibilities and authorities, and the whole management has defined substitutability for completion of the project tasks.
Public Tender for Selection of the Contractor (December 1, 2014 – May 21, 2015)
In accordance with the Public Procurement Act No. 137/2006 Coll., the public tender for selection of the contractor will be carried out in the following stages: pre-announcement, announcement of public tender opening, tender evaluation and selection, time for appeal, awarding and signing of contract.
Provision of Services (December 1, 2014 – April 30, 2016)
Insurance of hangars No. V and VI during the whole process of realization and insurance costs are included in the budget. Furthermore, insurance is planned for the whole time of preservation, and the costs are to be financed by our company. Technical supervision of the investor is assumed from the beginning of the construction work by the contractor, and during the whole process of construction. The costs for technical supervision of the investor are included in the budget. In addition, services will be provided for production of billboards and a plaque.
Publicity (January 1, 2015 – April 30, 2016)
The main focus of the publicity is to inform the public and target groups about the benefit of bilateral cooperation and EEA and Norwegian Grants for revitalization of the historic and unique premises of Stará Aerovka. The next goal is to present the project as a significant step to preserve the historical tradition of Czech aviation for present and future generations. The project publicity plan is aimed at both the professional and non-professional public, local and foreign, e.g. Czech aviation enthusiasts, people interested in aerospace technology, students, people interested in history, or historians. Further to identification of the target groups, we have devised a media strategy, the concept of which ensures getting the information through certain and specialized media to the individuals belonging to our defined target groups. As a result of this coordinated strategy and its defined steps, we have ensured maximum effectiveness of the presentation of the project and benefits of EEA and Norwegian Grants. The publicity plan will exploit the combination of both the traditional (TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, billboards, conferences) and modern (social networks, websites) methods of promotion, and will be based on extensive and stable media background of LOM PRAHA s.p., Ministry of Defense of the Czech Republic, and the Military History Institute in Prague. The project will also be permanently publicized on the billboard and plaque which will be forever visible on Open Days. Furthermore, the premises will be on the List of Institutions of Prague Museum Night. Schedule: Jan 2015 – launching the project website; Jun 2015 – erecting billboards; May 2015 – Apr 2016 – running documentation of the process of reconstruction and promotion of the process in the media. Apr 2016 – PR articles with advertisement and Open Day invitations; Apr 2016 – press conference, PR articles in aviation magazines, promotion in social networks; from Apr 2016 – long-term – Open Day, social events for MoD CR and political representatives, unveiling the plaque, Prague Museum Night, TV report.
Processing of the Documentation for the Construction (May 21, 2015 – December 31, 2015)
It is included in the item budget of the construction. The documentation will be processed by the selected contractor (see Public Tender for the Selection of the Contractor) after signing of the contract, based on the submitted project documentation and related materials by the contract owner.
Reconstruction of Hangars No. V and VI (June 1, 2015 – April 30, 2016)
In accordance with the requirements of the monument institution, the project will follow the historical procedures and technology used in the original construction of the buildings to the maximum extent possible. In other words, the complex and its details will be reconstructed in their current, practically original, state, and some disturbing modern interventions will be removed.
Hangar No. V
- dismounting of the roof cladding and damaged parts of the external cladding;
- rebuilding of “decaying” steel parts;
- blasting of the steel construction and painting in the original colours;
- reconstruction of the external cladding according to its original structure and material;
- chemical treatment of new wooden parts using carboline paint, shade of nut;
- wiring and placing lights according to the original layout;
- reconstruction of the wear layer of the floor, keeping its current “concrete” appearance.
Hangar No. VI
- demounting of the façade boards from one of the facades, replacing them with new ones (using some original ones);
- replacing part of degraded and damaged wooden parts by carpentry method with identical profiles, exposed places near the floor with larch, and the rest with spruce;
- chemical treatment of wooden parts using carboline paint, shade of nut;
- production of copies of existing windows;
- reconstruction of ironwork;
- manufacturing of the copy of steel ladder for the roof;
- reconstruction of the external cladding according to its original structure and material;
- wiring and placing lights according to the original layout;
- reconstruction of the wear layer of the floor, keeping its current “concrete” appearance.
Installation of the Exposition (February 1, 2016 – April 30, 2016)
In order to preserve the cultural and technical heritage of the Czech Republic, the partner of the project, Military History Institute in Prague, will use the reconstructed hangars of the applicant to create a museum complex corresponding with the latest world trends in exhibiting historic airplanes, including the part dedicated to flying exhibits. As a part of the museum exposition, the visitors will have a chance to see maintenance, restoration of historic airplanes, and flight displays. The dynamic model of the museum will present functionality of the exhibits, not only the traditional “dead” museum. The uniqueness of the project lies in the fact that the premises will be revitalized as a whole, corresponding with their condition in 1941. Hangar No.V will house an exhibition of bombers, combat planes and fighter-bombers from World War II to the 1980s. The most valuable addition to the collection of the Military History Institute in Prague in the past 20 years is the Soviet bomber Petlyakov Pe-2 from WWII, which has been acquired from the Norwegian Aviation Museum Norsk Lufttartsmuseum in Bodo. Hangar No. VI will be dedicated to the history of the AERO aircraft production, therefore four unique prototype planes manufactured by AERO will be exhibited there.