In Rudolfinum, a cafe has reopened after reconstruction

Prague - After approximately two years of reconstruction, the café in the Column Hall was opened to the public today at the Rudolfinum. The reconstruction, costing 9.5 million crowns, which was part of the Open Rudolfinum project, aimed to elevate and artistically unify the space in the context of the entire building. The goal of the project is to make the Rudolfinum building more attractive to the public. The Czech Philharmonic (ČF) utilizes the Rudolfinum.

The new design of the café was created by the architectural office Atelier Brno led by Petr Hrůša. The café has been equipped with gastronomic technologies that allow for the preparation of both cold and hot dishes. "The main goal will be to prolong the cultural experience, but the doors will be open to everyone from lunch to evening," said Sanjiv Suri, the owner of Zátiší Group, which has become the operator of the café. The café will be open from Tuesday to Sunday from 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM.

Since the launch of the Open Rudolfinum project in 2013, Suk Hall has been improved, the auditorium has been acoustically enhanced, the floor in Dvořák Hall has been replaced, and now the new café is accessible, stated the general director of the ČF, David Mareček. "I sincerely wish that Cafe Rudolfinum becomes a sought-after place not only for listeners of the Czech Philharmonic concerts and visitors to the Rudolfinum Gallery but also for regular passersby," he added.

The Open Rudolfinum project does not end with the new café. New ticket offices are to be built on the ground floor, and a new elevator from Alšovo nábřěží is planned to be operational.

The main reason for last year's renovation of Suk Hall was poor acoustics. It was necessary to acquire a new floor and doors that would also allow for connecting Suk Hall with the Auditorium into one large space for hosting social events with a capacity of up to 1000 people. The Open Rudolfinum project is funded by a grant of 70 million crowns from the Ministry of Culture.