The reconstruction of the State Opera building will cost 715 million crowns

source: narodni-divadlo.cz

Prague - The comprehensive reconstruction of the historical and operational building of the Prague State Opera, which is set to begin on July 1, 2016, will cost 715 million crowns. Initially, a figure of half that amount was mentioned. The repairs are expected to start after the conclusion of the 2015/2016 season of the National Theatre Opera (ND). This was stated in a press release by Minister of Culture Daniel Herman (KDU-ČSL).
    Three years ago, the Ministry of Culture announced that the reconstruction would cost a total of 360 million crowns by 2017, which is 110 million crowns more than previously announced. The originally considered amount reportedly did not include all parts of the building and the restoration of technical facilities. Last October, after visiting the State Opera building, Herman spoke of 665 million crowns by 2018, and now the provided amount has risen to 715 million crowns.
    "Half of the amount planned by previous governments would not be sufficient and would lead to some kind of 'sugar-coating' of the building. During the control day, I had the opportunity to visit the backstage of the opera building and saw the technical problems, such as the subsidence underneath the stage in front of the auditorium," Herman said to ČTK. "That is why we negotiated an increase in the budget so that a thorough general reconstruction could take place, ensuring its full functionality for several decades to come," he added.
    According to the minister, the historical building of the State Opera will be closed for an unspecified period of time. "However, this in no way means that the company of the National Theatre Opera will be dissolved or anything like that. We will be looking for opportunities for the artists in other ensembles of the National Theatre," Herman stated.
    The greatest pain of the old building, according to ND director Jan Burian, is the infrastructure - especially electrical installations, water, heating, and waste systems. Moisture remediation is also necessary. Restoration work will also take place on the interior decoration of the auditorium's sections. The glass façade of the adjacent operational building will also undergo reconstruction. The theater will repair the artists' dressing rooms and social facilities.
    The government decided to increase the funding for the former State Opera Prague, which has been part of the National Theatre since January 1, 2012. The doubling of the original amount for the reconstruction is related to the increase in the ministry of culture's budget by 2.3 billion crowns to 10.9 billion crowns.
    Herman considers the budget increase of the ministry a success of his year-long tenure at the head of the department. This amounts to 0.89 percent of the state budget; the government, similar to many cabinets before, has committed to striving for one percent for culture from the state budget. It stated that it wants to achieve this by the end of its term - supposedly without the funds that go to churches through the ministry of culture's budget. This year's budget is 0.89 percent, including expenditures for churches, and without them, it is 0.74 percent of the state budget.