Due to the preparations for the construction of the concert hall, 28th October street will be closed in Ostrava

Ostrava - In connection with the preparation of the area for the construction of a new concert hall and the reconstruction of the House of Culture of the City of Ostrava, part of 28. října street will be temporarily closed from Monday. The closure will last until December 8. Drivers will have to prepare for traffic complications, as they will have to use a detour. This was announced to journalists today by the spokesperson of the city hall, Gabriela Pokorná.

Part of the initial phase of the project, which should be completed in the first half of next year, includes, for example, the demolition of the amphitheater and the construction of water management facilities or the relocation and connections of engineering networks. The costs for the current works exceed 106 million crowns excluding VAT.

Due to the construction of new water supply connections, about 200 meters of 28. října street will need to be closed from Monday in the direction of Poruba, behind the intersection with Bozděchová street. The detour route towards Mariánské Hory and Poruba will go through Místecká, Železárenská, and Výstavní streets back to 28. října street.

The construction of the concert hall, including the reconstruction of the cultural house, is expected to cost more than four billion crowns. It is one of the most controversial projects in Ostrava. Some councilors in the past criticized its financial demands and the associated heavy financial burden for the city.

"Currently, a procurement process is underway for the contractor of the construction, who will subsequently realize the actual extension of the concert hall and the reconstruction of the House of Culture of the City of Ostrava. The new complex will be utilized as a musical, cultural, production, or educational background, which will also house the Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra of Ostrava," said the Mayor of the city, Jan Dohnal (Spolu).

"Plans include, for example, a theater hall with a capacity of 490 seats, a chamber multifunctional hall with 515 seats, a lecture multifunctional hall with a capacity of 120 seats, or an educational center with 200 seats. Additionally, the complex will feature a large concert hall with a capacity of 1300 seats as well as a recording studio, and there will be a restaurant, café, and other spaces," the Mayor added.

The design of the concert hall in Ostrava was presented in July 2019 when the results of the largest architectural competition in the modern history of the city were announced. The authors of the winning design are Steven Holl Architects from New York and Architecture Acts from Prague. The American magazine Architizer ranked the project among the ten most anticipated buildings in the world in 2021.

The city has attempted to construct a new hall six times in the past, first in the 1860s and most recently in 1969.