Public space meets music. BIG’s Vltava Philharmonic Hall in Prague

Public space meets music.
Big-Bjarke Ingels’ Vltava Philharmonic Hall in Prague

BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group won the international architectural competition for the new Vltava Philharmonic Hall in Prague. The new concert hall will accommodate over 1,800 audiences, celebrating the Czech musical tradition and strengthening the importance of Prague as a cultural capital in Europe.
BIG’s proposal was chosen among a total of 19 anonymous entries, including invited proposals from Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Snøhetta, Ateliers Jean Nouvel, David Chipperfield Architects, and SANAA.

The design
The new Vltava Philharmonic will extend in all directions to create urban connections and form a recognizable landmark for surrounding communities. Ascending from the Vltava River to the skyline of Prague, a series of grand public plazas will become a new symbol of inclusionary architecture, welcoming the city’s public life.
The roofs are conceived as an extension of the large square at the foot of the building and their vertical succession allows visitors to reach the top of the complex. The slender colonnades support the terraces and provide shade and shelter, space to sit and gather, and areas for informal outdoor performances.
Arriving in the grand foyer, guests are greeted and guided to the music halls – the versatile Prague and Holešovice Halls and the main concert hall The Vltava Hall.
The seating in the concert halls has been carefully designed to foster a sense of unity and shared experience.
The wooden interiors ensure balanced acoustics with natural materials and create an environment designed to strengthen the intimate connection between the audience and the orchestra.
In addition to becoming a major cultural destination in Prague, the building is designed to maximize its reception potential: the halls are designed to maximize flexibility for a wide range of uses, from listening to contemporary music to enjoying theatrical performances.

BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group, Vltava philharmonic site, courtesy of BIG

BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group, Vltava Philharmonic Hall, courtesy of BIG

PROJECT FACTS
Size: 49,715 m2
Client: Prague Institute of Planning and Development
Location: Prague, Czech Republic
Collaborators: Theatre Projects & Nagata Acoustic (Acoustics), Buro Happold (Engineering), AED (Local Arch/Engineering), ETC (Transport), Systematica (Mobility), Front (Facades)
BIG TEAM
Partners in Charge: Bjarke Ingels, Brian Yang
Project Leader: Shane Dalke Project
Manager: Luca Nicoletti
Team: Sarkis Sarkisyan, Giulia Orlando, Matthew Oravec, Giulia Vanni, Jan Magasanik, Jeremias Sas Iros, Jonathan Chester, Khaled Magdy Zaki Ahmed Elfeky, Sorcha Burke, Clara Elma Margareta Karlsson, Mads Primdahl Rokkjær, Ondrej Slunecko, Tania-Cristina Farcas, Polina Galantseva, Yanis Amasri Sierra, Paula Madrid.
BIG Landscape: Giulia Frittoli, Eleanor Gibson, Jialin Lian