The National technical museum opened its 6th exhibition hall. Starting today, visitors will be able to see a giant model of New Vítkovice on the 2nd floor, one of the most important industrial heritage monuments in the Czech Republic. There is also a sugar factory model, track model with models „0“, chassis (a frame with axles and a drivetrain) of the car Škoda Octavia from 1959 – 1964, BMW motorcycle of the Castle guard and an iron truss model of the St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague.
The size of the model New Vítkovice is 8,75 x 2,5 x 0,9 metres and its weight is 400 kilograms and will be on display at the National technical museum until 29 January. The model is produced at 1:100 scale and visitors can find there all key objects of Lower Vítkovice. These include blast furnace No. 1, 6th energy control panel, gasholder and energy centre. The buildings that are undergoing transformation according to the architectural design by Josef Pleskot and his AP Studio have been incorporated into the model. Next year more objects will be added towards the mine Hlubina and around the blast furnace No. 4 and 6.
The very first exhibit of inventory number 1 is the model of the sugar factory at 1:10 scale.
The unique model was constructed in 1908 for the exhibition of The Commerce and Trade Chamber designed by Ing. Hoffmeister. Production of individual parts was provided or financially supported by leading Czech engineering works and other companies. After the exhibition the model was dedicated to the emerging Technical museum of the Kingdom of Bohemia and acquired the status of its first exhibit. In the NTM collections it has therefore the inventory number 1.
The model track is made in 1:45 scale, ie. so-called size "0" and will definitely please both small and big admirers of locomotives. The track is designed technically with small illustrative accessories. The models are metal without use of plastic. The chosen locomotives ran on the lines of Central Europe from 1890 to 1970.
In the years 1959 - 1964 the car Škoda Octavia was produced in the car factory Mladá Boleslav. It was the last type of a passanger car Škoda with a spine frame and an engine in the front, ie. a structure typical for all cars from Mladá Boleslav since the mid 1930s. The displayed chassis (a frame with axles and a drivetrain) with slices of aggregates was originally made for a presentation of the car factory for exhibitions and fairs.
The last model is the school training model of an iron truss in the St. Vitus in Prague. The steel truss was designed by Karel Friedrich for the completion of the neo-gothic St. Vitus Cathedral in the Prague Castle in 1898. In the same year in was manufactured by the Prague Engineering Joint Stock Company (former Rustonov Engineering factory in Prague – Karlín).
The National Technical Museum has prepared this exposition for its visitors and intends it to continue and expand with other interactive exhibits and a playroom for children.