Brno agreed with M1 to withdraw the lawsuit regarding the concert hall

Brno - The Prague studio M1 will withdraw its lawsuit against Brno over the construction of the Janáček Cultural Centre in a few weeks. The mayor Markéta Vaňková (ODS) and Pavel Joba from M1 informed journalists about the agreement today. The studio won the architectural competition for the concert hall in 2004. However, during the previous administration, the city entrusted the completion of the project to an international team led by the Polish architect Tomasz Konior, who presented a modified concept last year. Therefore, the studio turned to the court with a lawsuit to protect against infringement of copyright.

No decision has yet been made on the lawsuit. "The lawsuit complicates our progress in this matter, which is why I contacted the architects and started discussions with them about the possibilities of withdrawing the lawsuit," Vaňková stated. According to her and Joba, the studio should withdraw the lawsuit in a few weeks. "But things like discrepancies with their licensing rights and the original documentation need to be fine-tuned," Vaňková noted. According to her, no one had communicated much with the architects from M1 in the past, although they had the right to all information according to the contract.

The new design is bulkier than the old design, which has a valid zoning decision. There should also be more seats, up to 1300. "If the city instructs the designers to adhere to the appearance and architecture of our proposal, then we are on the same boat. We will prepare an agreement for settlement within weeks, which will replace the lawsuit," said Joba.

The project will continue to be worked on by the team around the Polish Konior. "There are conditions under which we have transferred copyright to another developer. For each stage of documentation, we will prepare a detailed manual. If the designer follows these, it is resolved. Thus, the final output should be prepared by the designer based on the manual, which will be part of our licensing provisions," Joba explained.

The architects from M1 will collaborate with architect Petr Hrůša, who participated in Konior's design. According to Hrůša, it would be sufficient if the hall offers around a thousand seats, which should align with the original design of studio M1.

Councillor for Culture Marek Fišer (Pirates) welcomed the agreement. "I am glad that the mayor managed to bring studio M1 to the negotiating table. The project continues, and I am convinced that we will successfully complete it, and a concert hall that meets the strictest global standards will be built in Brno in the foreseeable future," Fišer told ČTK.

The hall will serve as a base for the Brno Philharmonic. "The need for a hall is becoming increasingly urgent for us. With the preparations for the new season nearing completion, we are once again encountering limitations. We would like to present major symphonic works, which, however, still have no venue," said spokesperson Konečná.

The Janáček Cultural Centre has been discussed for many years. It is to be built between Besední and Veselá streets for approximately 1.5 billion crowns. It is expected to offer around a thousand seats. There are already underground garages in the area worth roughly a quarter of a billion crowns with almost 200 spaces, but they are not yet operational, and construction of the hall is awaited. The state is to provide 600 million crowns for the construction, and the city of Brno is to contribute the same amount, along with support from the South Moravian Region. The state already has part of the funds allocated for this year, but according to Vaňková, it is unlikely that construction will begin this year. Therefore, the disbursement of funds would be postponed to subsequent years.