Architectural design firm BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group has been chosen to design Prague’s new Vltava Philharmonic Hall, the first national concert hall to be built in more than 100 years. At 535,000 square feet, the venue will be big enough for an audience of more than 1,800 to celebrate Czech music tradition and maintain Prague’s reputation as one of Europe’s major cultural destinations.

Vltava Philharmonic Hall will become the new home of the Czech Philharmonic and the Prague Symphony Orchestra FOK. Both orchestras will locate their residences and educational facilities in the new center. The design of the music hall includes a series of public spaces, sloping colonnades and accessible terraces leading from the Vltava riverbank to the roof, enabling all visitors to enjoy the attraction, not just listeners of classical music. The new Vltava Philharmonic Hall will connect Old Town’s traditional atmosphere with the Holešovice neighborhood’s more modern cultural scene.

© BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group

“The Vltava Philharmonic Hall is composed as a meandering journey from riverbank to rooftop, said Bjarke Ingels, founder and partner, BIG. “Public flows and belvedere plazas unite the city life of Prague to the 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.”

The new roof of the Philharmonic will allow visitors to walk to the top of the building as if climbing a hill. Colonnades will support the building’s roof terraces, while timber from the Bohemian Forest will provide shade and protection from rain or snow, as well as spaces for informal outdoor performances.

Although residents and visitors will have to wait until 2032 for Vltava Philharmonic Hall to open, the new venue will surely become a major cultural destination in a city where music has been part of the lifestyle since the 13^th century.

© Vivid Vision

In another major urban project for Prague, architectural firm Henning Larsen will redesign the city’s historic Hlavni Nadrazi (Central Rail Station) and the surrounding neighborhood to connect the rail station and terminal hall with Vrchlického Sady Park (often called Sherwood Park). This wide-ranging project will enhance the city’s appearance by transforming this area of Prague into a more sustainable and livable part of the city.

Vrchlického Sady Park will be divided into a cultural zone, activity zone and central arrival plaza, creating a space for a larger Christmas market. An abundance of native vegetation will be planted and existing historic trees preserved. The new train station will also connect to the city’s planned bike network with easy bicycle access and parking, supporting Prague’s ambitions to greatly lower the city’s carbon emissions. With the introduction of a new tram line and the anticipated 200 percent increase in the number of visitors in the area, the future Hlavni Nadrazi transport hub will be a transformative milestone in Prague’s urban development.

© Vivid Vision

Celebrating the architectural heritage of Prague’s rail station, its terminal hall’s iconic design elements will be preserved, reimagined and extended to accommodate the increase in capacity. The terminal’s striped, paved flooring and iconic curved design elements will remain, paying homage to the station’s unique modernist architecture.

On arrival at Hlavni Nadrazi from the city center, visitors are greeted by the park and a bustling pavilion that acts as a gateway to Fantova Building, creating a lively destination to pass through and explore. Central to the design is a large, open-roof timber canopy, unifying the surrounding park, central station and communal transport center. To host a new tram stop and city transport plan, a new glued, laminated timber roof will be lifted 45 feet above the terminal floor, allowing for improved views of the park and city skyline, and better access to the recently renovated Art Nouveau-style Fantova Building, within the station.