Ostrava to get a new concert hall designed by Steven Holl

by   CIJ News iDesk III
2021-10-15   07:13
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American architect and artist Steven Holl visited Ostrava in preparations for a new concert hall project and the related reconstruction of the House of Culture of the City of Ostrava.

"I am obsessed with architecture and I believe it can change people's lives. I believe that if you perceive the surrounding space and light, it will also affect the way you live your life. Architecture is important. It surrounds you. You can turn away from sculptures, as well as from paintings, but architecture will engulf you,” said Steven Holl.

Currently, about 70 experts are collaborating on the project, who are elaborating the architectural design down to the smallest detail, from the foundation of the building and statics, through acoustic parameters to the details of the interior elements. The building, which will firmly anchor Ostrava on the map of world architecture, is unique in many ways. It offers a comprehensive musical, cultural, production and educational background. It combines a unique architectural solution, distinctive style, state-of-the-art technology, but at the same time sensitively follows the legacy of architect Jaroslav Fragner, as it connects the listed building with a timeless new building

"We are pleased with the appearance of the chamber hall, which, in addition to better acoustics, will offer greater variability. We perceive the possibilities of its use and the use of the entire set for a wide range of users as an important quality based on the original solution of the entire building by Jaroslav Fragner. We are excited that the premises of the former demanding spectator cinema have also been restored. Not only the independent operation, but also the connection with the street and the esplanade is returned to the newly created educational center with the preservation of the projection. At this stage of the project documentation, it was also possible to design paved areas around the concert hall and the House of Culture, including new plantings. The building will thus receive a dignified public space and a logical connection to the city boulevard and Milady Horáková Park,“ said Martin Kropáč from Architecture Acts, co-author of the design.

The new concert hall will have a capacity of almost 1,300 seats and will offer facilities for the 100-member orchestra of the Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra in Ostrava. It will also provide a chamber hall with 515 seats or an educational center with 200 seats. It will also include a world-class recording studio, a theater hall with a capacity of 470 seats or a lecture hall with a capacity of 120 seats and other spaces for commercial use. It is expected to visit up to 0.5 million people a year.

The city has made serious attempts to build a quality concert hall six times in its history, first in the 1960s, most recently in 1969. None of these attempts were successful. While in other countries of Central and Eastern Europe, 14 concert halls have been established in the past 12 years (mostly in Poland), the last concert hall built in Czechia is the Dvořák Hall in Prague's Rudolfinum, ceremoniously opened in 1885.

"We are intensively continuing the individual steps of the preparations in order to offer the public a cultural background at the world level. After the study we presented some time ago, the documentation was prepared and discussed at the level of the zoning decision. The result is a verification of the feasibility of the project. These days, the designers are finalizing the documentation for a joint building permit, which already reflects the results of dozens of surveys and the requirements of the entities concerned. Earthworks could start as early as next year. Part of the preparations is the acoustic assessment of the hall, so the production of an acoustic model of the concert hall on a scale of one to ten to verify the acoustic properties of the future work continues," said Zuzana Bajgarová, Deputy Mayor.

Further information about the project can be found on the link below:

https://www.koncertnisal.cz/