Plzeň selected the theater proposal; the segmented structure by the Portuguese won

Plzeň - A fifteen-member commission today decided on the final form of the new building of the Plzeň theater, which will become a modern landmark of the city. Of the two proposals, 14 members voted for the concept by architects from Portugal. The complex structure won over the proposal from a Brno office because it offered better operational solutions and a more interesting and aesthetic arrangement. An advantage was also the fact that the technical floor of the new building was designed underground, where they plan to utilize a space up to seven meters deep. The city leadership informed journalists about this.
    "In terms of volume and cubic space, both proposals are comparable. However, there were absolutely no comments on the operational conditions for the Portuguese design, whereas there were for the other one," said Deputy Mayor Marcela Krejsová. According to her, the winning proposal offers a witty solution, a huge entrance area, dressing rooms for the ballet school, a ticket sales area, several cafes, and other usage options. It also interestingly approaches the logistics, allowing trucks with scenery to enter below ground level.
    According to Mayor Pavel Rödl, the proposals were also evaluated based on experiences from the Plzeň Great Theater. "There, many operations intersect, for example, parents with children going to the ballet school pass through the employees' entrance, and so on. Here, everything is really resolved," he said. He also pointed out that the Great Theater needs 12 people to direct the audience to the hall, while the new building would require only four employees for that task.
    "I was in favor. I liked the volumetric structure and the articulation that gives it an interesting urban character. From the front, it is urban-forming, and the own technical background is designed so well that it does not create any significant barrier in long-distance views of the historical core," said Petr Marovič, head of the heritage protection department of Plzeň City Hall. The building proposed by the Brno studio was 30 meters high, while the Portuguese design was five meters shorter.
    According to the city leadership, projects for the new building will now begin to emerge. The exact price will only be known with the construction documentation. However, it is estimated to be around half a billion crowns. The foundation stone could be laid in the autumn of 2010.
    Plzeň City Hall has faced criticism in the past for not announcing a traditional competition. They invited five selected studios, of which only two applied. The theater building will be located near the exhibition grounds in the area between Palackého and Jízdecká streets. The total area designated for construction is almost 8000 m². The main hall will have a capacity of 500 spectators, and there will also be a variable stage for another 200 people.