Today, Prague with IPR announces an international architectural competition for the Vltava Philharmonic
From today, the views of architects from all over the world are even greater in Prague. Today, the capital of the Czech Republic, together with its Institute of Planning and Development (IPR), officially announced an international architectural design competition: the Vltava Philharmonic. The jury will select the winning design of the buildings for the new concert hall, which will stand in Prague Holešovice at the Vltavská metro station, in May 2022. The contestant will distribute 18 million crowns for the awarded designs at the sketch.
The next major step in making a new important cultural building in Prague for more than 100 years was taken today. The announcement of an international architectural competition for the design of a new building for a concert hall – the Vltava Philharmonic – is an event of international significance not only for Prague, but also for the entire Czech Republic. Preliminary interest in participating has already been provisionally confirmed by about 60 studies from around the world, including the Czech Republic.
Starting today, all applicants can officially submit their applications to the competitions. Five subjects, mainly from the ranks of renowned architectural studies of the world, will then be invited to participate directly. They are DILLER SCOFIDIO + RENFRO, Snøhetta, Ateliers Jean Nouvel, David Chipperfield Architects and SANAA.
The last day for submitting the application is September 30, 2021. In October 2021, the jury will select another 15 teams for the five already invited. A total of 20 teams will continue in the competition, which is a rare number in an international comparison. In about 6 months, in March 2022, these contestants will submit their architectural designs to the Vltava Philharmonic and its immediate surroundings. The jury will start evaluating the submitted proposals in April 2022 and in May 2022 the winner should be known and the competition officially ends.
The jury is finally composed of 11 full members (with the right to vote) and 21 alternates (participation in all meetings and joint debates of the jury). In addition to chairman Michal Sedláček, its full members are Andreas Cukrowicz (among others, he won the international architectural competition of the concert hall in Munich), Tina Saaba (among others, the former city architect of Copenhagen) and Peter Gero (among others, he participated in the new Hafen City district in Hamburg). ). Among the Czech architects, its members are Josef Pleskot, Marcela Steinbachová or Martin Krupauer (leading project manager of the Vltava Philharmonic).
The jury is represented by the Minister of Culture of the Czech Government Lubomír Zaorálek, the Mayor of Prague Zdeněk Hřib, the First Deputy Mayor Petr Hlaváček and the Member of the Parliament of the Czech Republic and the Representative of Prague Jan Čižinský.
Participation and sociological research are part of the materials of architectural competitions. Henning Larsen, AEA Consulting and Buro Happold and other materials are part of the materials for the competitions and the results of participation and sociological research. These were processed from documents obtained from the Prague public by direct interaction both at the place where the Philharmonic building will stand (eg guided walks) and in other ways, including a survey. Between March and June 2021, several workshops were held with the City District of Prague 7 as local cultural and community actors.
One of the key outcomes of participation is the demand for community spaces, as both local associations and the local city district would welcome spaces for community events within the buildings of the Vltava Philharmonic (VF). Music schools (art schools and conservatories) use a concert hall and rehearsal rooms with facilities.
The demand for public outdoor space for meetings, relaxation or even organizing other types of events, which should be part of the Vltava Philharmonic project, is also very significant.
The Medián agency also proved the sociological survey in the period between mid-June and July of this year in a sample of approximately 1,500 respondents over the age of 15. His conclusions will also be included in the competition documents. All three interviewed groups of respondents, ie. Praguers outside Prague 7 residents, residents and parts of Prague 7 visitors and a group of audiences (those who regularly attend cultural events in Prague) and subscribers (regular concert goers) agreed on the main conclusions of the survey.
The Vltava Philharmonic project (construction of an architecturally interesting building in a neglected area around the Vltavská metro station) has significant support for all the mentioned group surveys (between 60-70%). As part of the additional functions of the Vltava Philharmonic, respondents would especially welcome cafes and restaurants, in the surrounding area they prefer the opportunity to sit, relax and meet friends. On the contrary, they would be bothered by office space here. Of the other accompanying activities, their screening has the greatest support. Regarding the frequency of visits to the Vltava Philharmonic, three quarters of residents and visitors to Prague 7 confirm their interest in visiting the Vltava Philharmonic at least once a quarter (a tenth of Prague 7 residents would even like to come every week). Of the other Praguers, 2/3 of the people would go out at least once every 3 months, and 4 out of 5 would even want to visit the VF building at least once a month. When visiting the Vltava Philharmonic, the target groups addressed solemnly. For the use of suitable in the internal services of buildings then respond consider their use for work.
More detailed results of the participation and sociological survey will be published on: https://vltavskafilharmonie.cz/cs/participace
Schedule of the Vltava Philharmonic project
After the completion of the architectural competitions, after concluding the contract with its winner, work will begin on the creation of project documentation and subsequently obtaining the necessary permits to start construction. The entire second stage of the project should be completed according to plan in 2025. Its costs are estimated at 750 million crowns.
The final, third stage should begin with the selection of a construction contractor during 2026. Construction work is expected to begin a year later in 2027. Direct construction costs directly for the construction of the Vltava Philharmonic buildings were estimated at 4.9 crowns in January 2021. Economic analyzes recommend, as the most advantageous option, to divide the investment between the state, the capital and the private sector. According to estimates, the total cost of building the Vltava Philharmonic is estimated at 6.1 million crowns.
The new concert hall should be completed in 10 years, ie in 2031.
The building of the Vltava Philharmonic in Prague should have a total of three halls: main – concert, for about 1800 spectators, a small hall for chamber music with a capacity of about 700 seats and multifunctional for other genres and types of events with a capacity of up to 500 seats. The main concert hall will offer top acoustics, perfect spatial and visual parameters, and the facilities meet the standards of the 21st century. In the building you will find the background of both 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, which will become another important pillar of the building’s construction program. The architecturally significant building of the Vltava Philharmonic on the banks of the Vltava will become the initiator of the revitalization of the Bubny-Zátory area. The Vltava Philharmonic will thus become the new cultural center of Prague and the entire Czech Republic.