Ostrava is preparing the construction of a new concert hall

Ostrava - Ostrava is preparing to build a new concert hall. It is collaborating with the British firm Arup, which was involved in the construction of the opera in Sydney, Australia, among other projects. Mayor Petr Kajnar (ČSSD) and the city's chief architect Cyril Vltavský announced this at a press conference today.
They emphasized that the city wants the concert hall to be the best that can be built. "We are building this, let’s say, for hundreds of years, so we don't want to mess it up," said Kajnar. If everything goes well, the city could put out an architectural competition next year, according to him.
However, the biggest problem will be securing funding. "If money were not a problem, I think that from today to three years from now, the hall could be built. But I think it will be more like we will have a project and we will strive for support," the mayor stated. According to the city's leadership vision, the new concert hall is expected to cost between 800 million and 1 billion crowns. "We believe that it can be built for that amount," said the mayor.
Architect Vltavský mentioned that the city has been intensively preparing for two years and is trying to identify the priorities that the hall must meet. "We are not operators of such buildings, so we are looking for the best company to help us," he said. According to him, it is key to choose the right number of seats and halls. "The correct shape of the interior halls is also important because it relates to acoustics, and that is a priority," explained Vltavský.
The city is considering having around a thousand seats in the hall. "On the other hand, Arup says that a certain type of concerts in such small halls is not cost-effective," said Kajnar. He added that a similar piece of information was given to him by the organizer of the Colours of Ostrava festival and other music events, Zlata Holušová. "She said she needs at least 1300 seats when she invites a star here to make it worth it in ticket sales," said the mayor, according to whom the number of seats is one of the first things that need to be decided.
The hall is to be located in the Černá louka area, which the city wants to gradually transform. It is based on an urban design by the Dutch firm Maxwan. They proposed a park surrounded by buildings that would create a sort of horseshoe around the central area. In addition to the concert hall, there should also be apartments, a hotel, or a city gallery. The exact location of the concert hall has not yet been decided.
The proposal planned it close to the tram line, which seemed advantageous for visitors using public transportation. However, according to Vltavský, it is becoming apparent that vibrations from the tram could be transferred into the hall. "Dampening the tram would be so costly that it would be better to move the hall," said Mayor Kajnar regarding this. Vltavský stated that there are two other suitable locations. He added that discussions are currently aimed at precisely determining the area for the hall, which the city needs to put out the architectural competition.