The Czech city of Ostrava is to have a new concert hall designed by Steven Holl Architects and Prague-based Architecture Acts following an international competition.

The structure will create a tension between new and old, with the new building sitting astride the city's existing House of Culture.

The 1,300-seat concert hall, which is expected to open in 2023, was designed as a "perfect acoustic instrument in its case" in collaboration with Nagata Acoustics.

The hall is positioned at the rear of the building and facing a park, which shields it from urban traffic noise. At the front, a new entrance rises over the top of the House of Culture into a sky-lit lobby for the new hall.

Clad in zinc, the "instrument case" roof holds its conceptual "instrument" a structure made of concrete and maple. The concert hall's interior features acoustic wall panels organised in a rhythm which is based on Czech composer Leoš Janáček's theories of timing.

It is the Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra that will use the new building as a performance space.

One jury member, Krzysztof Ingarden, commented: "It's a fantastic piece of architecture, considering very well the relationship between the City of Ostrava and the park behind the existing building. I believe the winning project will be an emblematic piece of architecture for Ostrava, revitalising the city as well."

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