Praha will announce a tender for the renovation of the Vinohrady Theater for approximately 2.7 billion CZK

Prague - The Prague City Hall will announce a contract for the reconstruction of the Vinohrady Theatre. The maximum value of the contract is set at approximately 2.7 billion crowns. The city plans to announce the tender this April, and the repairs are expected to be completed by 2027. This is stated in a document approved by Prague councilors today. In addition to repairs, the reconstruction also includes the construction of a new underground chamber stage. The councilors discussed the contract last week, but ultimately withdrew it from the agenda. The announcement of the tender still needs to be discussed by Prague representatives.

"The theatre is the family silver of the capital city. Unfortunately, it is already neglected, not repaired for years, and almost everything in it has served its time. And I hope that soon we can make it a theatre for the 21st century. This includes the theatrical technology, which dates back to 1927; it is remarkable, but it has long ceased to function. Because we do not want to open it as a museum, but as a theatre, we will have to replace everything," said the theatre director, actor, and senator Tomáš Töpfer, regarding the reconstruction.

The city has been planning the theatre reconstruction for several years. Besides the tender for the contractor, it will also issue a contract for construction supervision. The total cost of the repairs is expected to be around 2.9 billion CZK. The theatre, which is a contribution organization of the capital city, was built in 1907 and has never been renovated.

The reason for the repairs and expansion of the theatre space is the poor technical condition of the building. The stage from 1926, designed by František Křižík, has never been reconstructed. Křižík's technical equipment will be cut apart, as it cannot be disassembled and removed. The National Technical Museum has shown interest in some of its parts, such as the electric motor or the helicoid. In addition to the stage, the electrical wiring, sanitary facilities, and also the decoration, including frescoes and the façade, need to be repaired.

In addition to the reconstruction of the historical building, a new stage and facilities will be created underground behind the theatre building on Římská Street. Access to the new stage is supposed to be through the historical theatre building. The chamber stage, which will also serve as a rehearsal hall, is planned with a capacity of 150 to 200 spectators. In the future, a project for a central scene shop for Prague theatres is also intended to be implemented in the theatre.

The preparation for the reconstruction began about six years ago. In the meantime, the theatre has closed contracts, for example, with designers. The city entered into these contracts last July and took full responsibility for the repairs. The goal of the project is to repair the historical building, expand it, and improve spectator comfort.

The city will seek funding for the repairs from the state or from European funds. "Even if the state does not contribute, we are able to pay for the contract from our own resources. The Vinohrady Theatre is not just about Prague culture; people from all over the country travel there," said Deputy Mayor Jiří Pospíšil (TOP 09). The city would like the state to contribute several hundreds of millions of crowns.

During the reconstruction, the theatre will be entirely vacated. According to Töpfer, the ensemble should temporarily move to the Prague Congress Center (KCP) in Nusle, with which it is currently negotiating terms. It is also in discussions with the National Theatre and the Karlín Music Theatre.

The announcement of the tender was on the agenda for Prague representatives last week. At the request of the Pirates, who asked for amendments to the document, it was ultimately not approved. From the original, the approved proposal today excluded the contract for construction supervision, which the city will issue separately. The name of the so-called administrator of the contract, which will be the company Havel & Partners, was added, as well as a resolution requiring the councilor for finance, Zdeněk Kovářík (ODS), to investigate the possibility of financing repairs from national and European funds and to discuss it with the Ministry of Culture.

The Art Nouveau building in náměstí Míru was constructed between 1905 and 1907 according to the design of architect Alois Čenský. The theatre was opened on November 24, 1907, and the first performance was Jaroslav Vrchlický's play Godiva.