The competition for the building of the Philharmonic in Prague was won by the Bjarke Ingels Group studio

Prague – The winner of the international architectural competition for the new concert hall building in Prague is the Danish studio Bjarke Ingels Group. The results were announced today by representatives of the capital city and its Institute of Planning and Development. According to the city's plans, the building should be completed by 2032, and the costs are estimated at around six billion crowns. The new cultural center, which will have several halls and will also serve as the home of the Czech Philharmonic, is to be located near the Vltavská metro station.

The management of the Czech Philharmonic told ČTK today that after the completion of the new building, it would continue to use its traditional seat in the Rudolfinum. The construction of the new cultural center is part of the transformation of the Bubny-Zátory area, where a new district for up to 25,000 people is planned. Discussions about building a concert hall in Prague with parameters that meet the needs of musicians and audiences have been ongoing for decades.

Deputy Mayor of Prague Petr Hlaváček said today that 115 teams registered for the competition, 15 progressed to the finals, and five teams were invited by the organizers. The fifth place according to the international jury's decision went to the international studio Snohetta, the fourth to the Czech studio Petr Hájek architects, the third to the Slovenian studio Bevk Perovic Arhitekti, and the second to the Spanish office Barozzi Veiga, which competed together with the Czech studio Atelier M1.

The city hall is seeking state co-financing for the construction, as the city of Prague, according to earlier statements from city management, would not be able to pay for the construction from its own funds. They are also considering involving private investors. The city council approved a change to the zoning plan for Holešovice in March, which will allow for the construction.

The Vltavská Philharmonic is expected to have three halls – a concert hall for 1,800 spectators, a smaller hall for chamber music with a capacity of 500 seats, and a multifunctional hall for other genres and types of events with a capacity of up to 700 people. The building is also expected to house the Prague Symphony Orchestra (FOK) and the music department of the Prague City Library. According to the city's vision, the philharmonic will be open all day and will offer not only cultural spaces but also cafes and restaurants, for example.

The Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) studio, with branches in Copenhagen, London, New York, Barcelona, and Shenzhen, employs not only experts among architects, designers, and engineers but also theorists engaged in architecture, urbanism, research, and building development. Many designs by BIG, which was established in 2005 in Copenhagen under Danish architect Bjarke Ingels, are characterized by the use of pioneering technologies and often stand out by defying conventions. An example is Amager Bakke, a waste incineration plant in Copenhagen that also functions as a ski slope, or LEGO House in the Danish city of Billund, which resembles the famous building blocks. The studio's portfolio includes designs for residential buildings, museums, and exhibition centers.