The building permit for the renovation of the cultural house and the construction of a hall in Ostrava is valid

Ostrava - The building permit for the reconstruction of the House of Culture of the city of Ostrava and the extension for the concert hall is final. The project is expected to cost four billion crowns. Ostrava is now looking for a contractor. Companies can apply until June 27. This was stated today by Jan Žemla, the director of the Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava.

The construction of the new concert hall, designed by American architect Steven Holl, is one of the most controversial projects in the city. The opposition criticizes the project's financial demands and the significant financial burden it brings to the city. The entire project is expected to cost over four billion crowns, with the extension of the hall alone costing about 2.2 billion crowns.

The construction is to be financed from sources of the city, the region, the Ministry of Culture, and also funds from the third pillar of the EU instrument, which represents a combination of preferential investment loans from the European Investment Bank and grants from the European Commission.

According to current estimates, the costs are expected to reach 4.1 billion crowns. The city expects that the competition for the construction contractor may lower the construction price. Of the costs, 0.3 billion crowns is allocated for design work, 0.8 billion crowns for the reconstruction of the historical House of Culture, and 2.2 billion for the extension of the concert hall. The remaining part, amounting to 0.8 billion crowns, consists of additional costs, including expenses for public space adjustments.

The city wants to utilize grants and a loan from the European Investment Bank to cover the costs. The building proposal emerged from an international architectural competition, in which the New York studio Steven Holl Architects won, in collaboration with Czech partners Architecture Acts. The hall itself is intended to have a capacity of 1,300 seats, but the construction also includes additional facilities, such as a multifunctional chamber hall, an educational center, a theater hall, and a recording studio.