Plzeň announced an architectural competition for the completion of the cultural house Peklo

Plzeň - Plzeň has announced an architectural competition for the completion of the protected cultural house Peklo, which will connect with the part of the building featuring the historic hall and stairway foyer, for which documentation is already being prepared by experts. The proposed solutions that also suggest modifications to the space in front of the building will allow for the expansion of cultural space in the city. Competitors can submit their offers until May 27; the submitted proposals will be evaluated by a professional jury at the beginning of June, the city council informed ČTK in a press release today.

The city has been striving for the revitalization of the cultural house for several years. When Plzeň began a partial reconstruction of the building in the spring of 2018, during which it allocated 20 million crowns, it was discovered that the ceilings and roofs were massively infested with wood-destroying fungi. Due to the emergency state, Peklo has been closed for several years now. It is among the most significant cultural objects in Plzeň, especially valuable is the neo-Renaissance large hall, which has very good acoustics, one of the best in the region. Plzeň is lacking a quality concert hall. The costs for the repairs of the complex are in the hundreds of millions of crowns.

The city leadership considers the rescue of the building to be one of its priorities. "In addition to the study, we currently have 51 million crowns allocated for project documentation and 488 million crowns blocked for remediation,” said Mayor Roman Zarzycký (ANO).

The aim of the modifications is to create a space for cultural music life as well as for hosting lectures, meetings, exhibitions, or training sessions. One of the main users will be the Plzeň Philharmonic, which should also have administrative facilities here, and a new smaller hall for about 300 people will be created. The authors must address not only quality acoustics but also, for example, the transportation of heavy musical instruments and adequate facilities for visitors and performers. Competitors must take into account the economic possibilities of the city in the implementation of repairs as well as in future operations.

"My dream is for the competition to yield a proposal for modern architecture that sensitively complements the building of the historic hall and resolves the modification of the surroundings, including a representative entrance. Construction will begin after the remediation of the historic part is completed. This will create an extensive facility for cultural and social purposes with appropriate amenities and modern technologies,” stated Technical Deputy Mayor Pavel Bosák (Pirates).