In Ostrava, construction of a concert hall worth 2.8 billion CZK began with the participation of the president

Ostrava – In Ostrava, the construction of a new concert hall and the reconstruction of the Cultural House of the city of Ostrava officially began today with the laying of the foundation stone, costing 2.8 billion crowns. The ceremonial act was attended by President Petr Pavel and American architect Steven Holl, whose design the building will be based on. According to Holl, it is a spiritual gift for future generations. The Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra Ostrava has been waiting for its hall for 70 years. As the first performance after the completion of the building, according to its director Jan Žemla, Janáček's Sinfonietta will be played.

The new concert hall will be created as an extension of the current cultural house. The project also includes its complete reconstruction. The European Investment Bank will provide a loan of two billion crowns for the construction. Additionally, the city has been promised 300 million crowns from the Moravian-Silesian Region and 600 million crowns from the state, from the Ministry of Culture. From its own resources, Ostrava has saved more than 500 million crowns in recent years. The European Union will also provide the same amount as a non-repayable financial grant for the project from the Just Transition Fund.

"Music will engulf us. Music can surround us. The new hall is a spiritual gift for future generations," Holl said today. He came up with the concept of his design together with his wife. "When we started thinking about it six years ago, we thought it would be good for the concert hall to enter from the quiet side from the park," he said. The current entrance is from a busy thoroughfare. "In the end, we figured out how to preserve the existing building and create a new structure above it. The entrance will be from the park," he said.

He also sought inspiration for the building in the music of Leoš Janáček, which he has loved since childhood. "In the office, we play his compositions and those of other Czech composers for inspiration every morning," he said. He added that he personally visited Janáček's house in Brno, where he played a few notes on his piano.

President Pavel stated that the construction could be inspiring not only from an architectural but also a technological point of view. "I look forward to the new Ostrava Philharmonic. I believe it will be completed by the end of my term, so I can attend the inaugural concert," he said. He praised the courage of Ostrava's politicians to embark on such a project. "It is good to see that Ostrava can not only revitalize old buildings that are part of its image but also embark on new projects," he said.

However, the project is also accompanied by dissenting opinions. Opponents mainly address the amount of spent funds. The orchestra's director Žemla disagrees with them. "Culture is something that defines us as human beings and as a nation. Without culture, we would not be who we are. Investments like these are one way to achieve a cultural environment in the Czech Republic," he said. According to him, the construction is very significant for Ostrava, especially as it is the first of its kind in the Czech Republic after a long time.

The completion of the construction is planned for the end of 2027. "It is hard to say now whether the first concert will be in 2027 or in early 2028," Žemla stated. However, he already knows partly what will be performed at it. It will definitely be Janáček's Sinfonietta. The orchestra's leadership has also requested a prominent contemporary composer to create a new piece that will have its premiere at the opening.

The concert hall will have 1,300 seats. The project also includes, for example, a theater hall with a capacity of 490 seats, a chamber multifunctional hall with 515 seats, a lecture multifunctional hall with 120 seats, and an educational center with 200 seats. The complex will also include a recording studio, a restaurant, a café, and other spaces. The city has attempted to build a new hall six times in the past, first in the 1860s and last in 1969.