Kaplického Rejnok could obtain a land-use decision in March

České Budějovice - Work on the construction of the A. Dvořák Concert and Conference Center in České Budějovice, designed in the shape of a manta ray by the late architect Jan Kaplický, has advanced. During their Tuesday meeting, the council discussed with representatives of the construction investor worth two billion crowns regarding a statement for the issuance of a zoning decision. Architect Eva Jiřičná, who leads the design team, flew in from London. After addressing the comments made, the council will issue a positive statement, said Mayor Juraj Thoma (HOPB) to reporters today.
According to the chairman of the South Bohemian Society of Friends of Music (JSPH), Antonín Kazil, which has been advocating for the construction of the concert center for several years, they should receive the zoning decision around March, with the first concert in the Manta Ray expected in 2015. However, the mysterious investor remains undisclosed. According to the regional office's decision, the construction will not have a significant impact on the environment, so an EIA does not need to be prepared for it.
In the past, there was speculation that the investor would be ČEZ, but Kazil denied this. According to him, it will not be the Russian company TVEL, which produces nuclear fuel for Temelín and is also a sponsor of the Emy Destinové festival organized by JSPH, nor the Mir consortium, which is bidding for the completion of Temelín. "It will not be any company from the east, nor a nuclear one," Kazil said today to ČTK.
According to Thoma, the council discussed with the implementation team especially about the transportation connection of the building and how it affects other interests of the city in the Čtyři Dvory area. "The result is that we found some agreement. This agreement allowed the city, after two intersections are resolved, to connect the area towards Husova Street and Evžen Rošický Street, to issue a positive consent for the issuance of the zoning decision for this construction," the mayor stated. If the designers manage to do it, then after the next council meeting.
Thoma emphasized that the city will not financially participate in the construction, and the sale of the land, which the investor currently rents from the city, will take place under standard conditions. The city could use the center for ballet and opera performances by the South Bohemian Theater.
"At this moment, we do not know who the investor will be, but we will want to know it. It is important for us that on the city-owned land in the center of the former military area in Čtyři Dvory, where other activities will take place, there will not be, for example, a pit or an unfinished building," said the mayor in response to ČTK. The city will want similar guarantees as it demanded for the unconventional construction of the bus station, which is located on the roof of a department store.
Kaplický and his team Future Systems designed an original black building with organic shapes for Budějovice. The completed study is Kaplický's most developed work in the country; however, his sudden death in January 2009 temporarily froze further discussions. The proposed building has a triangular footprint and covers an area of nearly 1.5 hectares. The center is expected to have, for example, two concert halls with capacities of 1,000 and 400 listeners.