Atelier M1 has withdrawn its lawsuit against Brno regarding the construction of a concert hall

Brno – The Atelier M1 architects have submitted a proposal to withdraw their lawsuit against the city of Brno regarding the construction of the Janáček Cultural Center. This was stated today by Brno's Mayor Markéta Vaňková (ODS) to journalists. Construction could begin in the middle of next year. M1 faced a lawsuit from the city due to changes in the completion of the project. The concert hall, located between Besední and Veselá streets, is expected to cost around 1.3 billion crowns and will offer up to 1300 seats. The Brno Philharmonic Orchestra will have its facilities there.

Atelier M1 architects won the architectural competition for the concert hall in 2004. However, under the previous leadership of the city headed by ANO, the completion of the project was entrusted to an international team led by Polish architect Tomasz Konior, who presented a modified concept last year. As a result, Atelier M1 turned to the courts. The new coalition led by ODS negotiated a settlement agreement with the architects, which included that the final project would respect the principles of the winning design of the concert hall that emerged from the architectural competition. "The withdrawal of the lawsuit is the final punctuation in this story. It is now clear that it cannot end in anything other than the halting of the proceedings,” Vaňková stated.

The settlement agreement has already been approved by the city authorities and has also been signed by the architects from M1. The city's priority remains high-quality acoustics in the hall and a good view of the stage for the audience. The location of the technological center, which will include air conditioning and ventilation systems, will change. It was originally supposed to be on the sixth floor; however, it will now be located underground in front of the hall. The city also emphasizes the appearance of the area in front of the hall, which should include greenery.

The Janáček Cultural Center has been discussed for many years. The state is set to contribute 600 million crowns to the construction, with the city of Brno providing the same amount, and the South Moravian Region also set to contribute. Underground garages worth about a quarter of a billion crowns with nearly 200 spaces already exist on the site, but they are not yet operational and are waiting for the construction of the concert hall.