Above the level of the mundane

Prague announced the winner of the international architectural competition for the design of the Vltava Philharmonic Hall on 17 May 2022. The winner of the architectural competition is the Danish architectural studio Bjarke Ingels Group, which completed a detailed architectural study in 2024.

The advancing teams are:

ALA + OV-A
MVRDV
OFFICE KGDVS + Christ & Gantenbein
Mecanoo + CHYBIK+KRISTOF
Barozzi Veiga + Atelier M1
Sou Fujimoto Architects
Cobe + Lundgaard & Tranberg Architects
ŠÉPKA ARCHITEKTI + MANGADO Y ASOCIADOS
Foster + Partners
Bjarke Ingels Group
Henning Larsen Architects
Carrilho da Graça Arquitectos
JAJAArchitects
Bevk Perovic Arhitekti
Petr Hájek Architekti

The selected studios will complement the five participants that Prague directly invited to develop proposals in August.
The international architectural studios are Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Snøhetta, Ateliers Jean Nouvel, David Chipperfield Architects and SANAA

The City of Prague and the Czech Republic have conceived a plan to build a new concert hall within the City of Prague as part of a contemporary music center of world-class standard (from the perspective of acoustics, capacity, layout, technical, architectural and urban design) and that will simultaneously confirm Prague’s reputation as a cultural capital and a symbol of the Czech music tradition. The aim of the project is to create a new, living, open and fully-used public cultural space for all visitors, and above all the residents of Prague.

The Vltava Philharmonic Hall building will be the spark in the transformation of the massive transformation area of Bubny-Zátory and has the ambition of becoming a cultural AND new social center in Prague 7, and for the whole of the Czech capital.

For these reasons the City of Prague is preparing an architectural competition intended to result in a design for the future appearance of this new music center.

Basic information:

Plot for the Vltava Philharmonic Hall building: 4 ha
Main concert hall for approx. 1,800 spectators
Small hall for approx. 700 spectators
Multi-purpose hall for approx. 500 spectators
Spaces for smaller events and conferences for approx. 200 spectators
Home to two orchestras: the Prague Symphony Orchestra and the Czech Philharmonic
Music department of the Municipal Library, which will be the heart of the Creative Hub
Practice rooms, studios, teaching spaces
Tour route

Our goals

I. The perfect tool

We are seeking the best design for a unique philharmonic building that will be called the Vltava Philharmonic Hall. The building must have outstanding spatial and visual parameters and state-of-the-art acoustics in the main concert hall. The new philharmonic hall should provide something fundamentally new and different above and beyond what is offered by the existing Czech concert halls.

II. A lively city

We want to create an exceptional cultural landmark, a center of cultural and social life that will be a gathering place 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

III. A local center

We want a building with high quality architecture that addresses the surrounding public space to bring to fruition the generation-long effort to create a strong local center connecting upper and lower Holešovice.

IV. A vertical city

We desire a harmonic public space on many levels that connects the Metro station, its vestibule, the river bank and all other urban facets, offering attractive views of the city and integrating all transportation arteries.

Main members

Independent part

Cukrowicz Andreas

He graduated from the Faculty of Architecture at the Technical University in Wien and the Academy of Fine Arts in Wien. In 1996 he founded the Bregenz-based Cukrowicz Nachbaur studio. His most important realizations include the Voralrberg Museum in Bregenz, Congress Center in Innsbruck, swimming stadium in Dornbirn and fire station in Götzis. Between 2005 and 2018 he was president of the Regional Association of Architects in Vorarlberg and is currently a member of the advisory boards for design and architecture in Vorarlberg and Tyrol. He is the winner of an international architectural competition for a concert hall in Munich, where succeeded against another 30 competing designs.

Saaby Tina

She studied at Aarhus School of Architecture and the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. She worked as an architect and partner at the Witraz Architects studio in Copenhagen, and was vice-president of the Danish Association of Architects. She has lectured at Sheffield University, the University of Copenhagen and also at the School of Architecture, Design and Conservation at Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. From 2010 to 2019 she was an urban architect in Copenhagen. In 2019, she worked as an urban expert at Gehl's office and founded Tina Saaby Copenhagen. She is an honorary member of the Association of German Architects and the Academy of Urbanism, UK.

Sedláček Michal

He graduated from the Faculty of Architecture at Brno University of Technology and the School of Architecture at Academy of Fine Arts in Prague. After studies, he went abroad, working in New York, Moscow and Los Angeles. In Frank Gehry's studio, he collaborated on the Walt Disney Concert Hall project. In 2007, he founded a branch in Los Angeles of the architectural company Aedas, which designed the Los Angeles NFL Stadium or the Doha Sports Center in Bahrain. In 2016, he won the tender for the director of the Office of the Architect of the City of Brno, which is the main conceptual workplace in the field of architecture, urban planning and the city's creation in Brno.

Pleskot Josef

He graduated from the Faculty of Architecture of the Czech Technical University in Prague, where he also worked as an assistant at the Department of History and Theory of Architecture. Since 1991, he has run his own architectural office AP ATELIER in Holešovice, Prague. The most significant realizations include the new ČSOB Group headquarters, the Sonberk winery or the passage through the Prašný bridge embankment at Prague Castle. In 2014, he received the title of "Architect of the Year", mainly for the unique revitalization of the post-industrial district of the Lower Vítkovice area.

Steinbachová Marcela

She studied architecture at Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague and Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, and also completed a bachelor's degree at the Institute of Education Foundations at Charles University (now the Faculty of Humanities). Since 2001, she has been leading the Kruh association, with which she organizes architects' lectures, the Architecture Day event and the Film and Architecture festival. She also founded the architectural office Skupina, which among others created the interiors of the Světozor cinema, the Roxy club or a house in Mohren, Switzerland. In 2016, she received the "Architect of the Year" award.

Gero Peter

He graduated from the Faculty of Civil Engineering, majoring in engineering structures and transport constructions, and in urban construction. He worked for the City Council in Hamburg for thirty years, twelve of which were as Director of Planning and Construction of Hamburg's central districts. He was instrumental in the creation of the Hafen City district with its many interesting buildings by world-class architects. He is currently a consultant to city administrations and a teacher in urban planning and urban development.

Dependent part

Hřib Zdeněk

Between 1999 and 2006 he studied general medicine at the 3rd Faculty of Medicine at Charles University in Prague. During his studies he completed an internship in Taiwan in 2005. In 2007, he led the electronic signature and payment tool project at MS Access, and in 2008 he was the head of the informatics section at the State Institute for Drug Control. Since 2012 he has been the Director of the Institute for Applied Research, Education and Management in Healthcare. From 2018 to 2019 he was a member of the Board of Directors of the General Health Insurance Company. In November 2018, he was elected Mayor of Prague.

Zaorálek Lubomír

In 1982 he graduated from the Faculty of Arts at Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Brno, majoring in philosophy and economics. After graduation he worked at Czechoslovak Television in Ostrava, where he worked as a dramaturge. Between 2002 and 2006 he was the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, and from 2010 to 2013 he served as the First Deputy Speaker of the Chamber. In January 2014 he became Minister of Foreign Affairs and in August 2019 he was appointed Minister of Culture of the Czech Republic. He is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Masaryk Democratic Academy, a professional think-tank.

Hlaváček Petr

He graduated from the Faculty of Architecture at Czech Technical University, where he has been teaching since 1990. In 1991 he founded the architectural office RUA with architect Hana Seho-Münz. In 1993 he served as a visiting professor at the College of Architecture at University of Michigan. In 2010, he became Vice Dean for Development of the Faculty of Architecture at the Czech Technical University and founded the studio Headhand Architects. Between 2015 and 2016 he served as the director of the Prague Institute of Planning and Development. Since 2018, he has been the 1st Deputy Mayor of the City of Prague for the area of spatial planning and development. He is a member of the Czech Chamber of Architects.

Čižinský Jan

He studied history and Latin at the Faculty of Arts and political science and international relations at the Faculty of Social Sciences at Charles University in Prague. As an educator he taught history, Latin and civic education at Malostranské Gymnázium grammar school and lectured on economic history at the Faculty of Arts at Charles University. He is the founder and leader of the “Praha sobě” and “Praha 7 sobě” initiatives. Since October 2014 he has been a deputy of the City of Prague and in November 2014 he was elected mayor of the Prague 7 district. He also led a scout troop for ten years.

Krupauer Martin

He graduated from the Faculty of Civil Engineering at Czech Technical University and Architecture at Academy of Fine Arts in Prague. Since 1989, together with Jiří Střítecký, he has managed ATELIER 8000 with forty employees, headquarters in České Budějovice and a branch in Prague. Since 2012 he has been running it himself. Among the most important realizations of the atelier is the cooperation with Jean Nouvel on the project Zlatý Anděl, the administrative centre Celnice and the interior of Forum Karlín. He is a member of the Czech Chamber of Architects and a guest architect of the Slovak Chamber of Architects. He is the chairman of the Prague City Council's commission for the creation of the concert hall of the capital the head of the project team for the preparation of the architectural competition.

Independent part

Lábus Ladislav

Graduate of the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Czech Technical University, majoring in architecture. Since 1990 he has been teaching at the Faculty of Architecture in Prague, where he was appointed associate professor and professor and in 2014 he was appointed dean. In 1991 he founded his own architectural studio Lábus.

Lund Niels Erik

Expert consultant for music performance projects and their facilities such as concert halls, recording studios and rehearsal rooms. He has been working for the Danmarks Radio for a long time. During 2015-2018 he managed the renovation project of the Sydney Opera House concert hall.

Fišer Michal

He graduated from the Czech Technical University, Faculty of Architecture and the Academy of Fine Arts - School of Architecture of Prof. Emil Přikryl. He completed his internship in Amsterdam (Onearchitecture), Berlin (Müller-Reimann Architekten). In Prague he worked in AP studio, Atelier M1 and Alt studio. In 2002 he founded his own studio “t ř i a r c h i t e k t i”.

Bělor Roman

He graduated from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the Czech Technical University, Prague. From 1990 to 2001 he was the manager and later director of the Prague Symphony Orchestra FOK. Since 2001 he has been the director of the Prague Spring Festival. For his contribution to cultural cooperation with France he was appointed a Knight (1995) and Officer (2011) of the Order of Arts and Letters of the French Republic. In 2012 he became a member of the board of the UNESCO International Fund for the Promotion of Culture. Since 2012 he has been the chairman of the Association for the Construction of the New Prague Concert Hall.

Salzmann Klára

She is a landscape architect and lecturer at the Faculty of Architecture at Czech Technical University. She has long been involved in landscape planning and finding consolidated solutions for nature, cultural landscapes and all living creatures including humans.

Ellis Adrian

Director of AEA Consulting since 1991 and Director of the Global Cultural Districts Network since 2013, a collaborative network of people and organizations responsible for planning, leading and operating cultural districts around the world. He has served in senior management and as a board member in the museum and performing arts industries and as a strategic consultant to leading clients in the cultural, public and business sectors worldwide.

Dependent part

Mahrik Viktor

He is a member of the Prague City Assembly, and full-time chairman of the Prague City Assembly’s Committee on Property, Ownership Interests and Business Promotion. He is also a member of the Prague City Assembly’s Transport Committee, and a member of the Prague City Council’s Commission on Property and Street Furniture.

Veselý Jakub

He studied business management at University of Economics and Management in Prague. Since 2019 he has been a member of the Supervisory Board of Obecní dům, a.s. He is currently a member of the Commission of the Council of the Capital of Prague for the Creation of the Prague City Concert Hall.

Svoboda Bohuslav

He is a Czech doctor and politician. He served as the Mayor of Prague from 2010 to 2013. Since 2013 he has been a Member of Parliament of the Czech Republic. In the Chamber of Deputies he is also a member of the Committee on Science, Education, Culture, Youth and Sports.

Němeček Milan

He graduated from the Faculty of Education at University of J. E. Purkyně in Ústí nad Labem and University of Applied Arts in Prague in architecture and design. For eight years he was the head of the Department of Arts, Literature and Libraries of the Ministry of Culture. He is currently the Deputy Minister of Culture for the management of the Section of Live Arts and is in charge of the State Culture Fund.

Třeštíková Hana

She graduated in production from the Film and Television Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. Since 2018, she has served as the Prague City Councillor for Culture, Heritage Care, Exhibition and Tourism and is currently the Deputy Mayor of Prague 7.

Brož Lubomír

He graduated from the University of Economics in Prague. In 2018, he was elected to the Prague City Council and at the same time to the Prague 5 City Council. Since 2020, he has held the position of Deputy Mayor with responsibility for public space and the environment. In Prague 5, he is also a member of the Commission for Culture and Restoration of Monuments, Vice-Chairman of the Legislative and Legal Commission and a member of the Commission for the Support of Entrepreneurship and Foreign Relations.

Scheinherr Adam

He studied mechanical engineering and physics in the Czech Republic and France. He has been a Prague City Councillor since 2018 and currently holds the position of Deputy Mayor of Prague for Transport. At the Institute of Nuclear Research in Řež, he is working on a UN project for the global reduction of nuclear weapons.

Wolf Jan

He graduated as a mechanical technologist from the Secondary School of Industry in Prague 10. He has been a Prague City Councillor since 2014 and currently chairs the Committee for Culture, Exhibition, Tourism and Foreign Relations of the Prague City Council.

Chabr Jan

He studied political science and international relations at the Faculty of Social Sciences at Charles University. Since 2018, he has been a councillor of the City of Prague and a councillor for property management. He is the Chairman of the Prague City Council's Urban Mobiliary Committee and the Inventory Commission.

Burgerová Lenka

She is an architect and historian. She is currently the deputy mayor of the Prague 7 district and teaches urban development and other urban topics at the Faculty of Architecture at University of Economics in Ústí nad Labem, the Faculty of Architecture at Czech Technical University in Prague and the Faculty of Architecture at Charles University in Prague. She is involved in several non-profit projects dedicated to the promotion and preservation of architectural and artistic heritage.

Mareček David

He is a Czech music pedagogue and manager, since February 2011 the General Director of the Czech Philharmonic. He graduated from the Brno Conservatory in piano and conducting, completed his master's studies at Janáček Academy of Performing Arts in piano, and his doctoral studies in interpretation and performance theory.

Vyhnánek Pavel

He is a Czech politician and economist. He studied economics at universities in Bologna, Italy and Nuremberg, Germany, and subsequently worked in the banking sector. In 2014 he was elected a member of Prague 7 Assembly, where he was appointed deputy mayor for finance, public procurement and investments. Since 2018 he has held the office of Prague City Deputy Mayor for finance and budget. His remit includes, inter alia, the Prague Market (Pražská tržnice), the Prague Exhibition Grounds (Výstaviště Praha), and the Prague Congress Centre (Kongresové centrum Praha).

Hainc Jaromír

Authorized architect, urban planner and researcher at Czech Technical University. Since 2012 he has been working at the Prague Institute of Planning and Development, where he participated in the creation of the Metropolitan Plan of Prague, and now he is the Director of the City Detail Section.

Gross Martin

He graduated from the University of Economics in Prague. He is the deputy head of the Vltava Philharmonic project team and a founding member of the Association for the Construction of a New Concert Hall in Prague, of which he is currently the vice-chairman. In the past, he has been involved as a consultant, for example, in the construction and preparation for the operation of O2 Arena in Prague or in the preparation and construction of the Forum Karlín multifunctional hall.

Sobotka Daniel

He graduated from the University of Economics in Prague, Faculty of International Relations. He worked among others as an advisor to the Intendant of the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival in Lübeck. He chaired the Advisory Council of the Mayor of Prague for Cultural Policy. In 2013 he became the director of the Prague Symphony Orchestra FOK.

1 / 4 Bubny-Zátory Brownfield (110 ha).
2 / 4 New Bubny-Zátory neighborhood for 25,000 inhabitants.
3 / 4 New Bubny-Zátory neighborhood for 25,000 inhabitants.
4 / 4 Lot for construction of the Vltava Philharmonic Hall.

Downloads

Analysis
Feasibility study (building and solved area)	Published 31. 01. 2021	PDF	Download

Competition documents

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