The competition for the design of the concert hall in Prague could take place in 2019

Prague - An international architectural competition for the design of a new concert hall on Vltavská could be announced in the first half of 2019, provided there is agreement on the transport and urban planning solutions for the area. The Czech News Agency was informed about this by the Institute of Planning and Development (IPR). In the future, the concert hall could either be rented out to the Czech Philharmonic or house the Symphony Orchestra of the Capital City of Prague FOK. According to earlier estimates, the building could be constructed between 2023 and 2025 and would cost between two and two and a half billion crowns.

"No concert hall for classical music has been built in Prague for over 100 years, and long-term analysis shows that Prague lacks a sufficiently large contemporary concert hall with excellent natural acoustics for symphonic music. Dvořák Hall at the Rudolfinum from 1885 and Smetana Hall at the Municipal House from 1911 do not meet modern acoustic capacity or operational requirements," stated Mayor Adriana Krnáčová (ANO). The capacity should be at least 1800 seats according to the mayor.

Currently, the capital city is preparing the documents for construction. An already completed feasibility study, which showed, for example, how to manage traffic or how to integrate the building into the existing infrastructure and development, will serve as a basis for a land-use study. This will determine the future shape of the entire district. This will be followed by the commissioning of a feasibility study that will examine costs, various management options, financing, possible capacities, and the extent of additional operations in the building. IPR is collaborating on the preparation of documents with the Czech Philharmonic, the Symphony Orchestra of the Capital City of Prague FOK, the Association for the Construction of a Concert Hall in Prague, architects, and acoustics specialists.

The construction of a new concert hall could lead to further development of the area. "Thanks to the plans for the construction of the concert hall, the entire area gains a vision. The new concert hall can kickstart the revitalization of the Bubny - Zátory area, which we are currently also focusing on," said IPR director Ondřej Boháč.

The construction of a new concert hall has been discussed in Prague since the early 1990s. In the past, there was a proposal for a building nicknamed the Ray, designed by the late architect Jan Kaplický for České Budějovice, to be located on Štvanice Island. The city leadership has backed away from placing the building on Štvanice, however, the project can still enter the competition for Vltavská. It would have to be revised, as Prague wants to build a facility for 1800 to 2200 visitors, while Kaplický's design has roughly half that capacity.