The new Brno concert hall is hidden in a giant concrete ball

Brno - Under the giant concrete dome lies the most modern concert hall in Brno for 600 visitors. It was built in Žabovřesky as a basic part of the Sono Center, the rest of which consists of a hotel, a restaurant, and underground garages. The complex construction of the spherical shape delayed the entire building by several months. The music club will open for the first time on Friday, while the hotel and restaurant will open in early May, said the operators of the Sono Center to reporters today.
    Due to the connection between the club and the hotel, as well as the surrounding residential buildings, the builders paid significant attention to soundproofing the hall. "The club's structure is a concrete construction that is half a meter thick," architect František Šmédek told ČTK. Additional layers of various materials help to dampen sound from both inside and outside. In the hall's interior, the architect opted for organic shapes, and velvet fabric covers the rounded balconies.
    The hall can accommodate approximately 600 seated visitors. The operators aim to achieve practically daily use through concerts, theatrical performances, as well as balls, conferences, and other social events. The opening party on Friday will feature the South African duo Goldfish, and in the following weeks, the club will host, for instance, the Duke Ellington Orchestra, the German band N.O.H.A., the British group Manfred Mann's Earth Band, Slovak jazzman Peter Lipa, and Bratři Ebenové.
    "Now we are focusing on preparing the program for the next season. We want to wait for really big names until the club is established," said dramaturg Dan Giač. So far, he mentioned concerts by the American string quartet Kronos Quartet and vocal groups Take 6 and The King's Singers.
    In connection with the preparation of the Sono Center, a corruption scandal erupted years ago, leading to the conviction of former Žabovřesky mayor Aleš Kvapil and the secretary of the Brno-střed municipality Radovan Novotný. According to the verdict, investor Jiří Štopla was demanded a bribe to ensure the smooth course of construction.
    According to a recent statement from Štopla, the project cost hundreds of millions of crowns. According to experts, a hall of similar dimensions and acoustic parameters was missing in Brno. However, musicians still lack sufficiently large space for the largest ensembles, such as symphonic orchestras. The city has long considered building the Janáček Cultural Center between Veselá and Besední Street, but funding has yet to be found.