Vltava Philharmonic Hall: Orchestrating a Unique Urban Space
There’s quite nothing like the sound of music that uplifts and inspires the soul. Looking towards strengthening its cultural foundations, the City of Prague hosted a global architectural competition for a new concert hall in collaboration with The Prague Institute of Planning and Development (IPR Prague). The Vltava Philharmonic Hall is primed to be one of the city’s most ambitious architectural projects in the coming decade.
Globally renowned architecture studio BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group won the competition in May 2022 and continues to develop their design into a more detailed plan set for construction in 2027. The project orchestrated engagement with numerous stakeholders such as residents of Prague 7, the local community, and experts in a wide variety of fields.
“The Vltava Philharmonic is composed as a meandering journey from riverbank to rooftop,” shares Ingels.“Public flows and belvedere plazas unite the city life of Prague to music within. Its halls are formed for sight, fine-tuned for sound, and orchestrated for functionality and connectivity. From this rhythmic structure, a symphony of colonnades and balconies extend as platforms for public life. Expressive yet pragmatic, the new philharmonic will ascend to form a key landmark for Prague. From river to roof.”
A Symphony of Forms
Vltava Philharmonic creates a communal component through spaces that facilitate both indoor and outdoor gatherings. It espouses a celebration of the country’s musical culture as entities such as the Czech Philharmonic, the FOK Prague Symphony Orchestra, and the Music Department of the Prague Municipal Library will call it home. The project aims to be the music room of the City of Prague.
The heart of the design lies in the walkway that connects the riverbank to the roof terrace. The meandering path created by the terrace offers a s and accessible means of navigating a structure. It provides a unique and seamless passage that integrates urban design into its architectural form. The curves formed by the facade create angles that intersect and build upon one another.
Just like how music uplifts, the shape of the general structure seems to ascend upwards towards the sky. The distribution of column lines mimic the strings of instruments as they uniformly grace the large glass glazing. The use of granite reflects traditional Prague paving that makes it familiar to its local users. The timber sourced from the nearby Bohemian Forest lines the underside of the structure.
An Orchestration of Musical Spaces
On a personal note, this project may be one of the most important for me as an architect and as a Dane. The architect Jørn Utzon is a national hero in Denmark, less for the work he got to realize at home but more for his work on the Sydney Opera House on the other side of the planet. He showed the world how modern architecture could embody forms and reanimate traditions that had long been replaced by the international style of modern boxes – and in doing so, he captured the identity of a continent and the world’s imagination. For Prague, we have attempted to imagine a building inspired by the journey of its namesake River and informed by the three-dimensional complexity of its very urban site.
– Bjarke Ingels, Founder & Partner, BIG.
The layout produces an efficient flow as the Chamber Hall and Multipurpose Hall surrounds the central Main Hall. Spaces intertwined between these main structures is a Creative Hub, administration, management, catering, and resident orchestras that provide essential amenities. The compact design promotes efficiency and easy access that strengthens the structure’s functions.
The Creative Hub houses operations for musical education, rehearsal, and performance. The diversity of musical experiences encourages connection between the public, artists, and the well versed musicians. The intertwined terraces of the main hall creates a closer experience for audiences of its concerts. Additionally, The Chamber Hall makes more intimate shows possible with smaller venues.
A grand town plaza graces the corner of the site that enables civil life to flourish. A nearby public foyer houses numerous establishments and features exhibition areas for local crafts and arts.
Elements such as a shared street, viaduct, and the cinematic waterfront of the Vltava river set a backdrop that add to the hall’s character. The structure lines up in a diagonal fashion to set up views of Prague’s historic center and riverscape.
The auditoriums and public spaces coalesce together in a fashion that makes the Vltava Philharmonic Hall an attractive venue for gathering the citizens of Prague. BIG truly innovates and challenges the notion of how structures can be integrated into the urban landscape. Just like its future shows, the Vltava Philharmonic Hall’s performance serves as an inspiring piece of revitalization through a culmination of culture and meeting civic needs.
Photos Courtesy of BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group.
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