The Philharmonic by the authors of the New York High Line? Prague has announced a competition for a new cultural gem
The form of the new architectural pearl of Prague will be clear next spring. Today, the metropolis announced an international architectural competition in the form of the Vltava Philharmonic. And in May, they will find out who will design a new concert building on the banks of the Vltava near Holešovice near the former Bubny railway station.
About sixty architectural studios from all over the world and from the Czech Republic have already expressed interest in participating in the competition. And there are well-known names among them.
For example, the Diller Scofidio + Renfro studio, which is best known for reviving the former overpass on the west side of Manhattan, which is now home to the famous High Line promenade, which is visited by tourists from all over the world.
However, the studio also has recognized cultural buildings in its portfolio, including the Boston Institute of Contemporary Art, The Shed multifunctional center in New York and the expansion of the MoMA Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Norwegian architects from the Snøhetta studio will also apply for the construction of the Prague Philharmonic, who designed a building resembling an ice circle sinking into a fjord for the Oslo Opera House.
However, he also plans to send his designs to the French studio of Jean Nouvel, the author of the Zlatý Anděl building in Smíchov or the Louvre Abu Dhabi gallery, or the Japanese studio SANAA.
“We also expect a large number of Czech architects, because from our professional point of view, this competition is extremely open, so they also have a great chance of success,” said the chairman of the jury, Michal Sedláček, who is the director of the Brno City Architect’s Office.
In addition to him, the jury will also include the winner of the competition at the concert hall in Munich Andreas Cukrowicz, former Copenhagen city architect Tina Saaba, co-creator of the Hafen City district in Hamburg Peter Gero and Czech architects Josef Pleskot, Marcela Steinbachová and Martin Krupauer.
The political part of the jury will include representatives of the state and Prague leadership. “Thanks to the great interest of Czech and world architects, we expect timeless designs that will move the already rich architecture of Prague one step further,” said Zdeněk Hřib, the mayor of Prague, announcing the competition. According to the city management, the new philharmonic will help with the transformation of the now unattractive area of Bubny-Zátory.
“The closest possible connection of the Vltava Philharmonic building with the Vltava River will be a continuation of the tradition of locating important public buildings along the river and its significance as new architectural landmarks of the city. This is confirmed by experience from other countries and cities, whether for example from Hamburg or Copenhagen and many others, “adds Deputy Mayor Petr Hlaváček.
Competitors can apply until September 30 this year and the authors of the awarded proposals will share eighteen million crowns in the sketch.
Prague wants to start building together with the state in 2027 and the completion of the Philharmonic is currently planned for 2031. The new concert hall will have three halls, the largest of which can accommodate 1,800 people.
The city estimates the construction costs at 4.9 billion crowns. When the costs of project preparation and architectural competition are added, the total price is around six billion crowns. The Czechs are also to participate in the financing within the public collection. The city also wants to address the richest Czechs and large companies.
The main concert hall has full top acoustics and facilities corresponding to the standards of the 21st century. The building will also house both the most important Prague orchestras – the Prague Symphony Orchestra FOK and the Czech Philharmonic. The construction will also include the music department of the Municipal Library and other creative spaces.