The councilors of Prague postponed the decision on calling a tender for the renovation of the Vinohrady Theatre

Prague - Prague councilors postponed the decision to announce a tender for the reconstruction of the Theater on Vinohrady. The document that they were supposed to discuss today was ultimately withdrawn from the agenda. This was communicated to ČTK by the spokesperson of the magistrate, Vít Hofman. However, the reason was not disclosed. According to information from ČTK, this happened at the request of the Pirates, who believe that the material needs further development.

The city has been planning the theater's reconstruction for several years. The project is expected to cost about 2.9 billion crowns. In addition to the repair, it also includes the construction of a new underground chamber stage. The theater was built in 1907 and has not yet been renovated. The theater is a contribution organization of the capital city.

"The reconstruction of the Theater on Vinohrady is necessary, and we support it as Pirates. We requested further development of the material primarily in light of financing possibilities. It was not entirely clear from the submitted material. At the same time, we proposed a more cautious approach within the methodology of public procurement in such a large financial scope," stated Magdalena Valdmanová, vice-chairwoman of the Pirate councilors and chairwoman of the magistrate's housing committee, to ČTK.

The reconstruction is to be discussed this week by the magistrate coalition Spolu (ODS, TOP 09, and KDU-ČSL), the Pirates, and STAN. "I will call a coalition meeting and hope that some issues that the Pirates felt were missing in the explanatory report will be clarified, and the press will be discussed at the next council meeting. It is important for us to meet the February meeting of the council and for the reconstruction to start as soon as possible," said Deputy Mayor Jiří Pospíšil (TOP 09).

The preparation for the reconstruction began about six years ago. In the meantime, the theater has signed contracts with project designers, for example. Last July, the city entered into these contracts and assumed all responsibility for the repair. The goal of the project is to renovate the historic building, expand it, and improve audience comfort.

The reason for the repairs and expansion of the theater spaces is the poor technical condition of the building. The stage from 1926, designed by František Křižík, has never been reconstructed. Its repair is expected to last two years. In addition to the stage, it is necessary to repair the electrical installation, social facilities, as well as the decoration including frescoes and the facade. According to previous statements from the magistrate, the theater choir should maintain its activity during the reconstruction.

In addition to the reconstruction of the historic building, a new stage and facilities will be created underground behind the theater building on Římská Street. Access to the new stage should be through the historic building of the theater. The chamber stage, which will also serve as a rehearsal room, is planned with a capacity of 150 to 200 spectators.

Of the total cost for the theater's reconstruction, the majority will be the costs for construction modifications, amounting to 2.68 billion crowns. The costs for the construction manager will be approximately 88.7 million crowns, and 87 million crowns for author supervision and associated work. According to the document that the councilors were to discuss, as of December 31, 2023, approximately 97.46 million crowns had already been invested.

The Art Nouveau building at Míru Square was constructed from 1905 to 1907 according to the design of architect Alois Čenský. The theater was opened on November 24, 1907, with the first performance being Jaroslav Vrchlický's play Godiva.