The state will support the construction of the Ostrava concert hall in the coming years

Prague - The state will support the construction of the concert hall in Ostrava in the coming years. This was stated by Finance Minister Zbyněk Stanjura during the initial round of parliamentary discussion on this year's state budget amendment. The total state contribution is expected to be 600 million crowns. According to the minister, negotiations are currently underway regarding whether the subsidy will be spread over four or three years.

"At this moment, we are debating with both Mayor Macura and Minister of Culture Baxa whether it will be four times 150 million in the years 2023 to 2026, or three times 200 million in the years 2024 to 2026. Both options are on the table. We are analyzing which would be more advantageous for accelerating this construction," stated Stanjura.

The Finance Minister leans toward the option where the state would send 150 million crowns starting next year. According to him, a decision will be made before the government submits the proposal for the state budget for the next year.

The concert hall will be shaped like a musical instrument case. It will be an extension of the heritage-protected building of the House of Culture of the City of Ostrava.

Including preparations, the construction of the concert hall is expected to cost more than three billion crowns. The state and the Moravian-Silesian Region have promised to share the financing based on a cooperation memorandum from four years ago. "We will fulfill the memorandum and finally provide the money there," noted Stanjura. The region should provide 300 million crowns.

The Ostrava concert hall will have a capacity of 1,300 seats in the auditorium, which will be arranged in a so-called vineyard style, divided into smaller sections, and part of the auditorium will be behind a separate stage. The design of the concert hall, which also includes the reconstruction of the House of Culture of the City of Ostrava, is by American architect Steven Holl and his studio Steven Holl Architects from New York, in collaboration with the Prague studio Architecture Acts.