„I am surprised that this press conference was not organized in the great concert hall. Today, we should host journalists from around the world in this amazing building” – Alexander Liebreich, Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the PNRSO, said to media representatives gathered in the chamber hall of the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra’s new seat.
„Katowice did something, what was impossible in my hometown, Munich” – he added and voiced an opinion that the City now can be proud of its world-class concert house. The director has just conducted first tests with the orchestra in the new hall. PNRSO is preparing for the upcoming 2014/2015 season to be inaugurated on 1st of October.
The new seat, located in the junction of Roździeńskiego Av. and Olimpijska St., is almost done. Occupancy permit has just been issued for the building. Subcontractors of Warbud conduct last finishing touches inside the concert facility. The prime contractor is obliged to complete all the last works next week.
The architectural design of the venue was entrusted to Konior Studio, while Nagata Acoustics – a world leader in this field – was in charge of the acoustics. The building has been under construction since March 2012, funded by the City of Katowice and the European Regional Development Fund.
The venue is able to house audience of nearly 1 800 people in the great concert hall and additional 300 people in the chamber hall. Together with recording facilities, the PNRSO concert hall will become the largest recording studio in Poland.
Structural engineering and building services engineering were provided by BuroHappold, while the entire stage technology was implemented by LTT. The number of individual solutions applied especially for this building is extraordinary. It is worth to name a few, including the ventilation facilities, which were moved outside the building, while inside the concert hall custom-made wooden displacement air diffusers were used. Sound distribution from one room to another was reduced to a minimum thanks to the supplying of utilities via façade pilasters, according to BuroHappold. Also, the glass façade situated next to the main entrance to the building needed non-standard structural solutions.
„The stage for the great concert hall was designed in a way that allows any configuration for various music types and different types of orchestras and bands. It is possible thanks to the large number of stage lifts – one big, semi-circular one on the stage’s center, and ten pairs of symmetrically located, smaller lifts around it. By raising and lowering the lifts it is possible to properly locate and present each instrument and the chorus” – LTT explains at their official website.
„A house of music was erected in Katowice. This beautiful building will be an icon of the City where the culture is very important” – commented Małgorzata Omilanowska, the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.
The Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1935 in Warsaw. After World War II it was reactivated in Katowice. The former seat of the orchestra was located in the Krystyna Bochenek Cultural Center of Katowice at 2 Sejmu Śląskiego Sq.
