National Gallery (Fair Palace) in the Czech Republic, Prague spa
Rating: 7,5/10 (100 votes)  At the beginning of the 19th century, fairs for consumer goods and industrial achievements became an integral part of the capitalist economy. Such fairs in the Czech Republic were replaced by large cultural and industrial exhibitions, but they were held quite irregularly. In 1920, Prague hosted the first fair of achievements, after which it was decided to build a modern fair complex. In 1919, an organization called Prague Fair Achievements already existed in the city. Soon a cooperative was organized for the construction of the complex, which acquired plots in the Holesovice area. Architects Josef Fuchslu and Oddrich Tyl won the competition for the best building design. Construction began in 1925, but was soon suspended due to lack of funds. The construction of the building was completed in 1928. The interior of the complex was divided into two functional areas. A large hall, located in the southern part of the building, was reserved for heavy engineering objects, where fair expositions were located. In the northern part of the building there are administrative premises – the offices of the participating companies and the fair. Freight lifts, lifts and individual lifts were installed in the palace. A restaurant, a cinema, a buffet, a post-telegraph-telephone and a coffee shop were also open for visitors. During the occupation, the Germans used the palace as a collection point for Jews, from where they were sent to concentration camps. During a fire in 1974, the building was almost completely burned down, as a result of which it was planned to completely demolish the palace. However, this plan was never implemented, since in 1976 the palace was included in the UNESCO list. In 1978 the building was transferred to the National Gallery, which housed exhibitions of contemporary art.  
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