The hall designers in Brno do not want it to become just a "cultural house"

Brno - The search for the architectural form of the new concert hall in Brno is a story full of twists. Its next installment, likely the final one, is now being written by architect Petr Hrůša and his colleagues from his studio. The design team is grappling with so-called flutter echo, considering gold or silver leaf on the ceiling of the hall, and does not want it to become merely a "cultural house." The leadership of Brno announced today that the hall has received a building permit. Construction could begin in the spring of 2022.

The international architectural competition announced 20 years ago was won by Atelier M1 architects. However, during the previous leadership under ANO, the city entrusted the completion of the project to an international team led by Polish architect Tomasz Konior, who presented a modified concept before the last municipal elections.

Atelier M1 turned to the court. 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 from the architectural competition. Hrůša originally collaborated with Konior, but is now developing the exterior of the building according to the original design of Atelier M1 architects.

"It's not a trauma," Hrůša emphasized today, stating that the original design was based on principles of architectural minimalism. "We want to refine it, polish it, so that it is more understandable and accessible to the public," Hrůša said.

The internal design of the hall is now entirely in the hands of the new design team in collaboration with Japanese acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota. The architects decided to abandon the concept of parallel walls, which would cause undesirable flutter echo. "The side walls must be shaped so that the acoustics are as good as possible," Hrůša emphasized.

Due to changes in the internal layout, the designers must also rethink and adjust the statics of the entire building. The hall will be built above the finished underground garages between Veselá and Besední streets. The goal is for it not to become a "cultural house," but a concert hall that meets high standards, the architect stated.

Today, he presented visualizations of the hall with organically shaped walls and balconies to journalists. He also mentioned the possibility of gold leaf on the ceiling, which would reflect the entire hall. They are said to not be too expensive, at least in the context of the overall budget. This could reach up to two billion crowns.