by Tracy Ostroff
Contributing Editor

How do you . . . infuse a building with a culture?

Summary: The Bohemian National Hall aims to market itself as a distinctive, recognizable, elegant gathering spot in New York City and establish itself as a brand associated with a specific segment of the city’s cultural life. It is a place with character and with the specific angle of bringing and presenting Czech culture, in its diversity, to a city of diversity, not simply an ordinary open space to be rented, says a marketing representative for the century-old building.

The Bohemian National Hall, once a place where Czech culture thrived, but a long-since forlorn building, reopened in October in its Upper East Side neighborhood after being out of service for 40 years. A $45 million renovation revived the building's Classical 19th-century exterior and updated the interior to modern standards. The renovation rekindles important cultural and ethnic traditions once celebrated by Czech immigrants.

“We’re very excited about the programs that will bring people to the hall,” says Marcel Sauer, director of the Czech Center of New York, which is housed in the renovated building. “We’ve put on a lot of programs that have generated a wide range of interests. We are very pleased to see people coming to the new building.”

The newly renovated five-story building, which initially was called Narodni Budova (National Building), contains a multipurpose ballroom that can hold 300 people and includes more than 32,000 square feet of new space. The ballroom is suitable for dancing, weddings, corporate events, conferences, movie productions, and photo shoots. The Bohemian National Hall also houses the offices of the Czech Consulate General and the Czech Center, as well as the Bohemian Benevolent and Literary Association (BBLA). Other features include a 70-seat, state-of-the-art theater and a library collection focusing on history, art, and literature (in Czech, Slovak, and English). Additionally, an upscale, restaurant/lounge featuring Czech cuisine is in the works.

“The premise behind this multi-purpose facility was to create a platform for showcasing the Czech culture as well as being able to promote Czech business,” says Pavel Semerák, the owner’s representative for the Czech Foreign Ministry. “The place will further cooperation and relationship between the people of the Czech Republic and their fellow Americans.”

Many uses, hopefully more functions
In 2001, the Czech government bought the building from the BBLA for the symbolic price of $1 and hired the Czech company PSJ Holding and the U.S. firm Vanguard Construction to reconfigure the inside space. Jan Hird Pokorny, the 93-year old architect who prepared plans for façade of the building renovation, died this summer.

Semerák notes: “Beside the utility of the building, the ballroom and some other parts, like the rooftop terrace, will be eventually available for rent to the public,” to generate income.

The complete renovation took five years because it was staged over separate phases, Semerák explains. First was the core and shell, the second phase was the entire floor renovation for the BBLA, and, third, the interior work and all special technologies, including audio-visual, theatrical, special lighting, and others for the rest of the building.

He also notes that great care and effort marked the restoration of the ballroom. “The walls were rebuilt with masonry, all moldings and trim were done in real plaster. The woodwork from the Czech Republic is hand painted, the travertine and hardwood flooring was also brought from the homeland.”

The most “intricate element must have been the new spiral staircase between the first and second floor,” Semerák says. ‘It was challenging architecturally, and its structural stability was also tricky. The decision to put it there came quite late into the last phase.” He notes that dealing with the bureaucracy of the Czech government, the project sponsor, and New York City building code requirements “was probably the most exciting part.”

Historic ties
The interest to bring the hall back to its former glory, even after being deemed in 1986 as unfit for occupancy, is in its history and ties to the Czech culture and the desire to showcase trans-Atlantic cooperation. The Bohemian National Hall opened in 1895 with a mission to bring prestige, dignity, authenticity, and magnificent cultural facilities to an area that was once a Czech quarter. William C. Frohne, the architect hired to design the building, also oversaw its construction, which was completed in just two years, according to information provided by the cultural center. The elegantly finished hall combined buff Roman brick, limestone, and terra cotta. Visitors to the building entered via a majestic porch with paired granite columns and a two-story arcade with Ionic columns resting on lion's-head bases.

“An integral part of the deal of receiving the building from BBLA for a symbolic $1 was the obligation and willingness to restore the facility to its former glory and to preserve its cultural heritage. The Czech government understands the value of the building, both economical and historical. These were valid reasons for the use of the Czech taxpayer’s money,” Semerák says.