The Kaplický concert hall in Budějovice resembles a stingray

České Budějovice - Architect Jan Kaplický and his team Future Systems designed a concert hall for České Budějovice, which is to be built on the site of the former barracks in the Čtyři Dvory district. The study, presented by the architect to journalists today, includes a wavy black object in the shape of a triangle. Some see a stingray, while others perceive a reclining woman or even the foothills of the Šumava mountains. The most important thing is that the space is acoustically suitable and also pleasant for musicians and the audience, Kaplický told journalists today.
The shape of the building was inspired by the bodies of animals and humans. He believes that an organic form has a greater connection to the given assignment, which he described as one of the most challenging tasks of his career. "If people call it a stingray or a beautiful woman, that's fine. When architecture starts to have nicknames, everything is alright," he stated. The choice of black color for the object's shell was also made because it is what musicians and a large part of the audience wear. "It has dignity," he added. In contrast, in the interior, he did not spare colors or original details.
The Antonín Dvořák Concert and Congress Center is to be built by the South Bohemian Society of Friends of Music, which has been organizing the Ema Destinnová Music Festival in Budějovice for 19 years. The city of a hundred thousand lacks a top-equipped concert hall with sufficient capacity, suitable acoustics, and dignified background.
Therefore, Kaplický's company was approached to design a music center with two halls, one of which would accommodate up to a thousand people, and the smaller, more intimate one, about 400 listeners. The halls will bear the names of Ema Destinnová and Karel Ančerl. A hundred-member symphony orchestra with a large choir is also expected to fit inside, and a dance floor is also planned. The nearest similar concert hall with quality acoustics meeting these demands is in Berlin.
Kaplický consulted with many prominent musicians, including the chief and members of the Czech Philharmonic, the Panoch Quartet, conductor Leoš Svárovský, and Jaroslav Tůma, who will participate in the design of new organs for this hall. He was particularly interested in what musicians need backstage to feel comfortable and deliver the best performance on stage. He also visited concert halls in Berlin and London and studied the parameters of other famous halls. "If it is built, the world will envy it," said violinist Bohuslav Matoušek today.
The situation in Budějovice is completely different from Prague, for which this architect designed a National Library building in the shape of the legendary octopus, but the project became politicized and remained on paper. However, Kaplický does not see any formal obstacles to building a concert hall in Budějovice, and he appreciated the strong support from both the city and the region.
Mayor Juraj Thoma likened these moments to when Přemysl Otakar II. designed a huge square in České Budějovice at a time when foxes were returning home for the night. It was also magnificent by the standards of the time, and the city center continues to meet the needs of its inhabitants even 700 years later. "Kaplický has pointed his finger at the place where military barracks used to stand - here something will stand that will inscribe Budějovice in the consciousness of European music lovers for the next several centuries, as well as in all textbooks of architecture," the mayor believes.
The land of the former barracks in Čtyři Dvory is owned by the city, and the PMD Association is preparing new housing, administrative buildings, services, and a square there. The new concert hall is also expected to serve for congresses, and the center will be equipped with cafes and restaurants, shops, and parking. Member of the association Vladimír Kostka has so far estimated the costs at one to 1.5 billion crowns. The association aims to obtain funding from Brussels and other sources. If everything goes smoothly, construction could start in the spring of 2010.