Interest in repairing the State Opera for a billion has seven bidders

Prague - Interest in the billion-crown contract for the reconstruction of the buildings of the State Opera Prague has seven bidders. Tomáš Staněk, spokesman for the National Theatre, under which the opera falls, told ČTK today. According to previous information, the repair is expected to last 27 months and conclude in 2018. The program for the next two seasons will take place at alternative locations.

"In accordance with the law, we have today opened the envelopes of the bidders for the public contract. Seven entities have applied. There is a five-day period for appeals against the tender documentation. We will simultaneously evaluate the formal correctness and completeness of the bids, which we will subsequently present to the selection committee," said the spokesman. The contract was announced this February, and deadlines have been extended due to requests for additional information from the bidders in accordance with the public procurement law.

Given that this is a significant public contract, the government had to establish the evaluation committee. The Ministry of Culture's proposal included nine members and nine substitutes. Among the members representing the National Theatre are Václav Pelouch, the director of its technical and operational management, Miroslav Růžička, Jana Dvořáková, and Tamara Čuříková, while Jakub Masák and Květa Střílková - Honzálková represent the architectural office Masák & Partner, Daniela Potkányová represents the Agency for Property Management, and Milan Pokorný and Tomáš Urban represent the Ministry of Culture.

Talk of the opera's repair has been ongoing for years and the cost that the state is to pay has been rising. The Ministry of Culture justifies the increases by stating that previous investment plans only included repairs of selected technologies and partial restoration work on the historic building. However, during the preparation of project documentation, further deficiencies in the condition of both buildings or the statics of the historic building were reportedly discovered. According to the ministry, a comprehensive reconstruction of both buildings is necessary.

The financing of the reconstruction is secured by the Care for the National Cultural Heritage program, from which repairs or new constructions of several significant cultural institutions' headquarters are funded. It also covers the completion of the Hostivař deposit for the National Library, the revitalization of Klementinum, and the reconstruction of the main building of the National Museum.