A Gate That Has Survived 130 Years. Signal Space Is Restoring Its Original Form

The original entrance gate of the Old Town Market Hall was significantly damaged in the past and even cut apart, making it impossible to open fully. Following six months of careful restoration, it is now regaining the appearance it had when it was first created 130 years ago.

An Original That Has Survived More Than a Century

Restorers rejoined the individual sections of the wooden gate, repaired the damaged areas and revived its original character. The hand-forged gate in front of the wooden doors underwent the same meticulous treatment.

These are not replicas, but original architectural elements dating back to 1896, the year the Old Town Market Hall first opened.

“The gate underwent several highly insensitive alterations over the course of the last century. Our aim was to preserve the original structure and restore an appearance that reflects the character of the building as a whole,” says Petr Suchánek, Director of Signal Space.

Opening the Entrance to Light and Views from the Street

The restoration of the historic gate is not the final stage of the project. The next phase will transform the area above the sliding doors, where large windows will be installed. The glazing will extend up to the horizontal lintel and replace the existing silver panel.

The new design will bring more light into the entrance while revealing one of the building’s previously hidden details to passers-by: the painted ceiling of the historic market hall.

“We want the architecture to become a visible part of the experience before visitors even enter the gallery. The new glazing will open up views into the interior and highlight details that could not previously be seen from the street,” tells Petr Suchánek.

In the future, the glazed surfaces could also be used for projections, creating a natural connection between the building’s original architecture and the contemporary visual language of Signal Space.

The Past as Part of a Contemporary Experience

The restoration returns an original architectural feature to the Old Town Market Hall while creating a more open relationship between the building, the street and the city around it.

Beyond the historic entrance, the story continues in the present with the internationally acclaimed exhibition Echoes of Tomorrow, which brings together light, sound, data and visions of the future.

The Signal Space experience does not begin inside the exhibition. It begins at the threshold.

Foto: Kateřina Chourová