The government approved the reconstruction of the State Opera for one billion crowns

Prague - The reconstruction of the buildings of the State Opera in Prague, estimated to cost approximately one billion korunas, will last for 27 months and is expected to be completed in 2018. The government approved the reconstruction project today. Discussions about the renovation of the opera have been ongoing for years, and the price that the state is to pay has been continually rising. However, the scope of the repairs has also increased.

Based on the project documentation, a commission established by the Minister of Culture recommended a variant where the scope according to the itemized budget amounts to 933,130,000 korunas excluding VAT. With tax, the price would exceed one billion. The reconstruction is prepared including the project and an open tender for the contractor, said the spokesperson for the Ministry of Culture, Simona Cigánková, to ČTK today. Financing for the reconstruction is secured from the Care for the National Cultural Heritage program, which covers repairs or new constructions of several significant cultural institutions.

Performances that took place in the opera building will be transferred to the historical building of the National Theatre and the Musical Theatre of Karlín. In the next season, there will be 95 performances at the Karlín Theatre and 36 performances at the historical building of the National Theatre. Ballet performances will be held at the historical building of the National Theatre, the Stavovské Theatre, the New Stage, and in Karlín. Replacement rehearsal spaces have also been secured. The State Opera will be on a several-week tour in Japan during the 2016/2017 season, with a similar schedule for the 2017/2018 season.

The ministry also stated today that the State Opera Orchestra, the State Opera Choir, and the National Theatre Ballet will be preserved. Their retention is crucial for the artistically successful and full operation of the State Opera after its reopening, the spokesperson said.

In 2011, the then leadership of the opera stated that a comprehensive renovation of its three buildings would require 480 million korunas. However, the ministry repeatedly indicated that it could allocate only 260 million from its budget. In 2013, the Ministry of Culture announced that it would allocate 360 million for repairs. The reconstruction was postponed, as the opera faced staffing issues and other problems related to its merger with the National Theatre.

The current Minister of Culture, Daniel Herman (KDU-ČSL), decided in 2014 that the repair of the opera would become part of the Care for the National Cultural Heritage Program. He stated that due to the poor condition of both the historical and operational buildings, 665 million korunas would be allocated for repairs. Last January, he mentioned that the reconstruction would cost 715 million korunas.

The Ministry of Culture justifies the increase in the sum by stating that previous investment plans only included repairs of selected technologies and partial restoration works on the historical building. However, it is said that during the preparation of the project documentation, additional deficiencies in the technical condition of both buildings or the structure of the historical building were discovered. According to the Ministry of Culture, a general reconstruction of both buildings is necessary. It is supposed to start according to earlier plans after the end of the 2015/2016 season.