Prague has chosen the winning design for the new Philharmonic building
The Vltava Philharmonic has found its architect. For the first time, representatives of the capital presented to the public what the building would look like.
The years will present a project that is to become a symbol of the transformation of one of the largest brownfields in Prague, the transformation area Holešovice Bubny – Zátory will be designed by the Bjarke Ingels Group from Denmark. At the end of April this year, an eleven-member commission decided on the winner of the architectural competition for the concert hall building in Prague. She has now published a winning proposal.
“The Bjarke Ingels Group studio is currently the absolute world leader, but I was still surprised by what they were able to come up with. I am convinced that the building will immediately become an icon, a symbol of Prague. It is open to all, democratic, yet it has a clear order, “said Petr Hlaváček, First Deputy Mayor (SSpP).
The Vltava Philharmonic will be located next to the Vltavská metro station, according to current plans, construction should start in 2027. The building should start operating in 2032, as he said on Tuesday at the official presentation of the Prague Mayor’s Philharmonic Zdeněk Hřib (Pirates). The total investment costs will exceed 6 billion crowns.
Further major investments will be needed in the refurbishment of surrounding, now unused areas, such as transport infrastructure. Among other things, I count on housing construction there. According to IPR data, up to 25,000 people could find housing in the Holešovice Bubny – Zátory locality.
19 designs competed in an international architectural study. After the announcement of the winner, the project will be taken over by the city’s contributory organization, the Prague Development Company (PDS), which the city founded just for the purpose of preparing construction projects on city plots.
What could she look like?
According to IPR analytical studies from March 2021, the cost of building the project should cost about CZK 95,000 per square meter. The municipality is trying to co-finance the construction of the Vltava Philharmonic, and is also considering the involvement of private investors.
Among other things, the municipality is also negotiating the acquisition of land for construction. Most of the necessary plots around the Vltavská metro station are owned by the city, but some are owned by, for example, the Railway Administration or scouts. The city prepared a proposal for the exchange of these plots for other city property.
The new building with several halls should house the Czech Philharmonic, the Prague Symphony Orchestra FOK or the music department of the Municipal Library in Prague. According to the city’s ideas, the area will be open and also offer, for example, cafes and restaurants.