History of CSD Plasy

The Centre for Building Heritage of the National Technical Museum (NTM) in Plasy was opened on 29 September 2015. For the NTM, this was a landmark event. The existence of the centre significantly enhanced the museum’s construction collection, which has been developed since 1908, the year the museum was founded.

The idea of creating this unique institution originated ten years earlier. Plasy was selected as the site for realizing the vision of establishing a construction exhibition with a study depository and a material library, offering insight into the building culture of the past. The town’s exceptional historical complex, which was never fully completed, serves as a living textbook of architectural history.

The heritage renovation project titled “Centre for Building Heritage in Plasy” was implemented with support from EU Structural Funds from 2009 until the autumn of 2015. It involved adapting two significantly dilapidated but heritage-valuable sites of the former monastery’s economic facilities—the brewery and the farmstead.

The result was a unique institution combining the museum’s presentation and educational functions with experiential activities aimed at a wide range of visitors.

The permanent construction exhibition guides visitors through the entire former brewery complex and introduces them to the issues of historical building elements, materials, and structures. A “construction playground” awaits younger visitors, where they can express their own creative building ideas. The exhibition area is complemented by spaces for themed temporary exhibitions.

Within the former farmstead, spaces have been created for passing on traditional skills and techniques in workshops furnished in historical style. The oldest part of the complex houses a unique exhibition on building-historical research, demonstrating the methods used to investigate historic buildings in situ (on their original site).

The Centre continues to grow. Over the past ten years, new exhibitions have been developed, and numerous public events, temporary displays, and professional conferences have taken place. Educational activities are a cornerstone of its mission, addressing a wide audience—from small children to students of vocational schools. The Centre has become a comprehensive institution, earning respect even in an international context.

From the outset, the project aimed to connect with the local community, and its creation was supported by the town of Plasy. The Centre’s grounds include the town library; a microbrewery and new café have also contributed to revitalizing the site. The entire monastic complex, now undergoing gradual restoration, has become a major tourist destination.

The Centre for Building Heritage of the NTM in Plasy 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 the successful completion of the Centre’s project. The Centre was also listed among the best architectural achievements of 2014 and 2015. In 2017, the NTM and the Centre were nominated for the Micheletti Prize 2017, placing them among the elite of European museums. The following year, the Centre received a special Živa Award for “excellent resource use.”

The Centre for Building Heritage in Plasy promotes respect for architectural heritage, fosters a deeper understanding of building history, passes on traditional skills, and brings both inspiration and enjoyment.