The repair of the Spirála theater will be delayed due to a shortage of materials and labor

Prague - The reconstruction of the Spirála Theatre at Prague's Výstaviště will be delayed. The reason is primarily the lack of construction materials on the market and also a shortage of labor. The repair is expected to be completed by September 30, 2023, instead of the first half of next year. This comes from a document approved by Prague councilors. According to the document, the renovation of the Bohemia restaurant at Výstaviště will also be delayed by about three months, until March 31, 2023.

The Spirála building has been deteriorating since the floods in 2002, and the reconstruction, costing approximately 200 million crowns, began last year. The repair of the restaurant is estimated to cost about 110.8 million crowns.

The repairs of both facilities are affected by the current shortage of labor, which, according to the document approved by the councilors, is related to the war in Ukraine. "Despite the efforts of construction companies to meet deadlines, this reality cannot help but be reflected in the construction schedules," the document states.

According to it, a significant impact on the completion of repairs is also caused by "the dramatic shortage of construction materials on the market and the continuously extending delivery times." This negatively affects the smoothness of the construction. The materials shortage primarily concerns the Spirála, whose reconstruction started later and is not as advanced as that of Bohemia.

In the reconstructed Spirála, unique structures will be preserved, including the spiral ramp and the dome made of metal tubes. Additionally, the theater will feature stage, sound, and lighting technology and a smaller hall for 250 to 300 people for hosting more intimate concerts. The capacity of the main hall will be 750 spectators, which is 100 more than the original capacity. The operation and dramaturgy of Spirála will be managed by the company Výstaviště Praha.

The Spirála Theatre was established in 1991 through the reconstruction of the former Panoramic Theatre. The cylindrical Panoramic Theatre was topped with a tubular steel dome in 1960, designed by Ferdinand Lederer, which is a scaled-down version of the roof of Pavilion Z at the exhibition center in Brno. The structure of the dome was preserved as a technical and cultural monument during the reconstruction in 1991. The authors of the 1991 reconstruction are architects Jindřich Smetana, Jan Louda, Tomáš Kulík, and Zbyšek Stýblo. Kulík, in particular, long advocated for the reconstruction and reopening of the venue, but he passed away last year and did not live to see the reopening of the theater. He and the other original authors, however, participated in the reconstruction project.