The design of the new concert hall in Ostrava, in the Czech Republic, has been named one of the 10 most interesting architectural projects in the world by the online magazine Architizer. The concert hall, which shape resembles the case of a musical instrument, is to become the home of the Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra, a leading Czech orchestra for commissioning contemporary music. The author of the design is the US studio of architect Steven Holl from New York.
“These are the projects that set the aim to form a focal point for the locations in which they are constructed, providing a civic value that extends far beyond each project’s boundary,” said Eric Baldwin of the magazine about the top ten most anticipated architectural designs.
In addition to the Ostrava concert hall, the ranking also includes projects by Daniel Libeskind, who also designed the Jewish Museum in Berlin, Frank Gehry, who is the author of the Dancing House in Prague, and world-renowned architect Zaha Hadid.
The new 1,300 seat concert hall will straddle the existing House of Culture.
“The structure includes lots of steel and glazing, especially in the front part,” said Deputy Ostrava Mayor Zuzana Bajgarová about the building, adding that passers-by will be able to observe movement in the building from the outside.
The cost of the building is estimated at 1.5 billion korunas (€56.2 million), VAT excluded. Construction will begin in 2022, and the first concerts should take place in 2024. Except for the Moravian-Silesian Region and its capital Ostrava, the Czech state will participate in the funding of the construction.
The concert hall design also received praise from Mayor of Ostrava Tomáš Macura.
“The presence of the Ostrava concert hall on the list of the top 10 upcoming projects in the world is an extraordinary success which confirms that we have set out on the right path. Ostrava needs top architecture. Regardless of COVID-19, we will start construction according to the plan in 2022!” he wrote on Twitter.
Ostrava has been striving to build a concert hall for almost 60 years. While neighboring Poland has added 13 concert halls to its portfolio in recent years, in the Czech Republic, according to Macura, the latest concert hall is the Rudolfinum in Prague, built in the 19th century.
Architizer is an online magazine that allows architects to search, evaluate, and share architectural designs. It was founded in 2009 and publishes its own magazine. Together with The Wall Street Journal, Architizer also organizes the A+Awards.
Title image: Visualization of the Ostrava Concert Hall
