Architects from around the world are now even more focused on Prague. The capital city of the Czech Republic, in cooperation with its Institute of Planning and Development (IPR), officially announced today an international architectural competition for the design: Vltava Philharmonic. The jury will select the winning design for the new concert hall, which will be located in Prague's Holešovice near the Vltavská metro station, in May 2022. Participants will share 18 million Czech crowns for their awarded designs.
Another significant step towards establishing a new major cultural building in Prague after more than 100 years has been taken today. The announcement of the international architectural competition for the new concert hall building – the Vltava Philharmonic – is an event of international significance not only for Prague but also for the entire Czech Republic. Preliminary interest from around 60 studios from around the world, including the Czech Republic, has been confirmed for participation.
Starting today, all interested parties can officially submit their applications for the competition. Five entities, primarily from among the world's renowned architectural studios, will be invited directly to participate. These are DILLER SCOFIDIO + RENFRO, Snøhetta, Ateliers Jean Nouvel, David Chipperfield Architects, and SANAA.
The last day for submitting applications is September 30, 2021. In October 2021, the jury will select an additional 15 teams from the five already invited. A total of 20 teams will continue in the competition, which is a rare number in an international comparison. In about 6 months, in March 2022, these competitors will submit their architectural designs for the Vltava Philharmonic and its immediate surroundings. The jury will start evaluating the submitted designs in April 2022, and the winner should be announced in May 2022 when the competition officially ends.
The jury consists of 11 regular members (with voting rights) and 21 alternates (who participate in all meetings and joint discussions of the jury). In addition to chairman Michal Sedláček, its regular members include Andreas Cukrowicz (who won the international architectural competition for a concert hall in Munich), Tina Saaby (former city architect of Copenhagen), and Peter Gero (who contributed to the establishment of the new Hafen City district in Hamburg). Among Czech architects, its members include Josef Pleskot, Marcela Steinbachová, and Martin Krupauer (project manager of the Vltava Philharmonic).
Political representation of the state and the capital city is represented in the jury by, among others, the Minister of Culture of the Czech Republic Lubomír Zaorálek, the Mayor of Prague Zdeněk Hřib, the First Deputy Mayor Petr Hlaváček, and a member of the Parliament of the Czech Republic and Prague councilor Jan Čižinský.
Participation and sociological research are part of the supporting material for the architectural competition. In addition to the basic goals of the client, the proposal for a construction program based on the recommendations from the feasibility analysis by the consortium Henning Larsen, AEA Consulting, and Buro Happold, and other materials, the supporting material for the competitors also includes the results of participation and sociological research. These were processed from materials obtained from the Prague public through direct interaction both on site where the Philharmonic building will stand (e.g., guided walks) and by other means, including surveys. Between March and June 2021, several workshops were also held with the Prague 7 City District and local cultural and community actors.
Key outcomes from the participation include a demand for community spaces, as both local associations and the local city district would welcome spaces for community events within the Vltava Philharmonic (VF) building. Music schools (ZUŠ and conservatories) want to use the concert hall and rehearsal rooms with facilities.
There is also significant demand for public outdoor space for meetings, relaxation, or hosting various types of events, which should be part of the Vltava Philharmonic project.
A sociological survey conducted by the Median agency on a sample of approximately 1500 respondents aged over 15 took place between mid-June and July this year. The conclusions of this survey will also be included in the competition materials. All three respondent groups surveyed, namely residents of Prague excluding those from Prague 7, residents and frequent visitors of Prague 7, and audience groups (those who regularly attend cultural events in Prague) and subscribers (regular concert attendees), agreed on the main conclusions of the survey.
The Vltava Philharmonic project (the construction of an architecturally interesting building on a neglected area around the Vltavská metro station) has significant support from all mentioned survey groups (between 60-70%). In terms of additional functions of the Vltava Philharmonic, the respondents particularly welcomed cafés and restaurants, while they preferred options for sitting, relaxation, and meeting friends in the surrounding area. On the other hand, they would dislike office spaces in the building. Among other accompanying activities, movie screenings received the most support. Regarding the frequency of visits to the Vltava Philharmonic, three-quarters of residents and visitors of Prague 7 confirmed interest in visiting at least once every quarter (one-tenth of Prague 7 residents would even like to come every week). Among other Prague residents, two-thirds would visit at least once every three months, and among subscribers, four out of five would like to visit the VF building at least once a month. During their visit to the Vltava Philharmonic, the targeted groups expressed that they would like to feel dignified, elegant, or festive. The respondents found the least suitable use of the internal spaces of the building for work.
After the architectural competition concludes, work on creating the project documentation will begin upon signing a contract with the competition winner, followed by obtaining the necessary permits to commence construction. This entire second phase of the project is planned to be completed in 2025, with estimated costs of 750 million crowns.
The final third phase is expected to begin with the selection of the construction contractor during 2026. Construction work is scheduled to start a year later in 2027. Direct construction costs for the building of the Vltava Philharmonic were estimated at 4.9 billion crowns as of January 2021. Economic analyses recommend that the most advantageous option for investment be a division among the state, the capital city, and the private sector. Total costs for building the Vltava Philharmonic are estimated to reach 6.1 billion crowns.
The new concert hall is expected to be completed in 10 years, in 2031.
The Vltava Philharmonic building in Prague should have a total of three halls: a main concert hall for about 1800 spectators, a small hall for chamber music with a capacity of about 700 seats, and a multifunctional hall for other genres and types of events with a capacity of up to 500 seats. The main concert hall will offer top-notch acoustics, perfect spatial and visual parameters, and facilities meeting 21st-century standards. Both major Prague orchestras – the Prague Symphony Orchestra FOK and the Czech Philharmonic – will also have their facilities in the building. The construction will also include a music department of the City Library and other creative spaces that will become another important pillar of the building's construction program. The architecturally striking Vltava Philharmonic building on the banks of the Vltava River will initiate the revitalization of the Bubny-Zátory area. The Vltava Philharmonic will thus become a new cultural center for Prague and the entire Czech Republic.
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