What will the Vltava Philharmonic look like? The Danes will give Prague a new face
A group of architects from the Bjarke Ingels Group will be in charge of the project for years to come. Source: Bjarke Ingels Group, IPR Prague
13/07/2022
Prague already knows the shape of the new Philharmonic. The winning design of the famous Danish studio Bjarke Ingels Group envisages making the banks of the Vltava accessible and with open outdoor terraces including walkable roofs. Construction should begin in 5 years.
The international architectural competition in the form of a new philharmonic hall was announced by the capital together with the Institute of Planning and Development (IPR) of the capital city of Prague at the end of August last year. At that time, 115 teams from 25 countries entered the competition. In November 2021, the international jury announced the selected finalists, from which a winner emerged in May 2022. “Many aspects had to be taken into account when choosing. The plot for the philharmonic hall currently complicates rather than supports the meeting of people, so emphasis was placed not only on the architecture and operation of the building, but also on the design of public spaces in the adjacent area,” said Michal Sedláček, chairman of the jury.
“The place comes alive from the river to the roof”
Discussions about the realization of a new musical tabernacle have been going on in Prague since the 1990s. Now this vision is becoming a reality. The plan of the Danish studio envisages the construction of three halls with excellent acoustic properties. The largest concert hall can accommodate up to 1,800 people, the smaller one for chamber music will then offer a capacity of 500 seats, and the smallest hall for other genres will be designed for 700 people. The music department and creative hub of the Municipal Library in Prague will also find refuge here.
Construction work should begin in 2027, the new concert hall should be completed in 2032. The project is part of the overall transformation of the Bubny-Zátory location, where a neighborhood for 25,000 people will be created. Source: Bjarke Ingels Group, IPR Prague
The Philharmonic will be special with its walkable roof, which will offer space for a cafe, a restaurant and a panoramic view of Prague. “The winning proposal comes with something that we don’t have in Prague yet. The place will live from the river to the roof – the terraces of the philharmonic will be publicly accessible directly from the adjacent square, so everyone, even those who are not fans of classical music, will be able to enjoy the building.” concludes Mayor Zdeněk Hřib.
The Vltava Philharmonic is composed as a meandering path from the river bank to the roof terrace. Source: Bjarke Ingels Group, IPR Prague
The price keeps going up
The costs for the construction of the new musical tabernacle were originally supposed to be around 6 billion crowns. It is already clear, however, that the price will rise significantly, especially due to the emphatically rising cost of building materials. The capital city currently estimates the amount at 9.4 billion crowns without VAT. This follows from a document approved by city councilors on June 13. It is therefore not surprising that the municipality strives for co-financing of constructions by the state and is considering the involvement of private investors.
The increased price is due to the increase in the price of building materials and work, the originality of the selected project and an increase in floor space by 15%. Source: Bjarke Ingels Group, IPR Prague
The studio is absolutely world-class
With its branches in Copenhagen, London, New York, Barcelona and Shenzhen, the Bjarke Ingels Group brings together experts from a range of architects, designers, engineers, but also theorists. Many of this studio’s designs are unique uses of pioneering technologies and often stand out by defying traditional conventions and dimensions. Examples include the modern Amager Bakke waste incinerator in Copenhagen, which also functions as a ski slope, or the LEGO House in the Danish city of Billund, which resembles the blocks of a well-known building block. Recent projects include a treetop hotel room in northern Sweden and the spectacular Bay View Campus in California’s Silicon Valley for Google, which boasts a positive water balance and the largest geothermal installation in North America.
Resources:
- iprpraha.cz
- Author report Bjarke Ingels Group
- vltavskafilharmonie.cz
author:
Kateřina Slezáková
photo: Bjarke Ingels Group, IPR Prague