Praha will assign the winners of the competition to prepare the project of the philharmonic on Vltavská

Prague – Prague will commission the Danish studio Bjarke Ingels Group, which succeeded in an international architectural competition, to develop the project for the planned philharmonic near the Vltavská metro station. This was decided by the councilors late last night. The preparation of the project documentation is expected to cost 780 million crowns, according to earlier information. The actual construction is currently estimated to cost 9.4 billion crowns, compared to last year’s original estimate of 4.9 billion crowns. The building is expected to be completed by 2032 according to the plan.

The city evaluated the competition at the end of May. A total of 115 teams entered the competition, 15 advanced to the finals, and the city itself invited five additional teams to develop proposals. The new building is expected to host the Czech Philharmonic, the Symphony Orchestra of the Capital City of Prague FOK, and the music department of the City Library in Prague in the future. The building is to become a cultural center, which will also offer cafes, restaurants, a city park, and access to the river.

The increased cost compared to the estimate from last January is, according to the approved document, due to the rise in construction work and material prices, the originality of the selected proposal, and an increase in floor area by 15 percent. In addition to the costs for the construction itself, the city estimates that it will also need to invest another 2.9 billion crowns excluding VAT in additional interventions around Vltavská, such as waterfront modifications, metro vestibule changes, or transportation solutions. The estimate will be further refined as the project preparation continues, according to the document.

The City Hall is also striving for co-financing of the construction by the state, as the city of Prague has previously stated that it would not be able to finance the construction from its own funds. It is also considering involving private investors. According to earlier statements, the city wants to split the funding into thirds between the city, the state, and the private sector.

The Vltavská Philharmonic is expected to have three halls - a concert hall for 1,800 spectators, a smaller one 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 construction of the new cultural center is part of the transformation of the Bubny-Zátory area, where the development of a district for up to 25,000 people is planned.