„Important cultural institutions such as the Philharmonic Hall can appear reserved and intimidating. We tried to imagine a Philharmonic Hall that is open to all, invites people in and is as involved as possible in the life of the city. In a couple of years, when you come to the Vltava Philharmonic Hall, even if you do not yet have a passion for classical music, you will feel tempted to explore and want to enter the building and perhaps go up the building´s terraces and peer into the diverse spaces. And you may eventually catch yourself sitting in the audience with a ticket in your hand.“

„From the outside, I read the design as a multi-level public space for everyone. That’s what makes me like the design so much, and I see it as the right answer to a place that really needs help in the long term“

„I say again that it must be an honor for Prague to see who participated in the competition. And I am also very happy that Czech studios were not left behind and made it among the five awarded teams. That´s an excellent result. The winner is, of course, a global name, and that is a great opportunity for Prague, because the building will be all the more talked about in the world. But historically, Prague has it in its genes that world-class architects have built great houses here. It is very important now for our society and the future of our nation that those imaginary windows to a new world are opening.“

„I think BIG is the young progressive studio that cooks architecture or bases the ingredients of architecture on the knowledge of social relations and tries to create architecture that awakens the best positive feelings in people to help that society come together, rejoice, unite, and enjoy life. I see them as a very exemplary architectural group that takes these things into consideration.“

„I can already hear the talk of if only they´d put the money into fixing the roads. No, no, Prague needs culture, real culture and cultural buildings, without culture we will just be mice hunting for food.“

„All similarly oriented buildings today are alive all day long, and not just through so-called high culture. They are here for amateur choirs, for children´s ensembles, and for various other leisure activities. It is clearly an investment in the future. The experience from around the world is that even though such buildings have always been more expensive, they have all paid for themselves in the end. They brought more than they took away. And this has indeed happened everywhere without exception over the last twenty or thirty years. So there is no reason to fear that it would be different here.“