ČRo: The building authority has ordered to stop part of the work on the Ostrava concert hall

Ostrava – The construction of the new concert hall in Ostrava for four billion crowns is becoming complicated, the building authority has ordered the suspension of part of the work, Czech Radio (ČRo) reported today.

On July 30, the building authority ordered the suspension of selected construction and assembly work in the historic building of the cultural house, which the new concert hall is supposed to connect to. The completion deadline has thus been postponed again, ČRo stated. It added that according to the city, it is clear that the concert hall, designed by American architect Steven Holl, will not be finished even by early 2029. The city may have to revise the project, stated the public broadcaster.

At the end of July, builders discovered that many partitions in the original cultural house from 1961 were not constructed properly, cannot be repaired, and will thus have to be rebuilt. However, the cultural house is a listed building. Therefore, the building authority halted the work and the city must apply for a supplementary building permit.

"On July 30, the building authority issued a decision that limited the continuation of specifically defined construction and assembly work in certain parts of the existing structure. The city, together with the contractor, designer, and other experts, is evaluating the best way forward to ensure that work can continue in the affected areas as soon as possible," quoted ČRo spokesman Petr Havránek.

At the construction site, only work not affected by the authority's decision is currently ongoing. The city, along with the contractor, designer, and other experts, is seeking solutions. According to the city council, it is not yet clear whether the situation can be resolved administratively or if a portion of the project will need to be redone.

The complications also threaten the completion deadline. Originally, the construction was supposed to be finished by the end of 2027. This deadline had already been missed due to the need to reinforce the foundations under the extension. The new official deadline of March 2029 is also now jeopardized, the radio reported. According to ČRo, the city council does not want to set a new fixed operational commencement date for now. Clarity is expected in the coming weeks based on the further actions of the building authority.

The new concert hall, newly named Vox, is intended to be part of a large multicultural center. It will house the Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava, which is currently performing in temporary facilities.