In a year of the fire that destroyed the National Philharmonic, the Ministry of Culture aims to launch a contest of ideas that is also intended for companies with international experience in reconstructing or building such facilities. When the best idea is chosen, there will be announced a contest of projects. “We intend to build here a modern building of the Philharmonic, which would meet all the current necessities from acoustic viewpoint and in terms of stage equipment and mechanisms that are now more advanced,” Minister of Culture Sergiu Prodan stated in a news conference held at the site of the destroyed building, IPN reports.
“Immediately after the fire, the first technical report was produced and this showed that the waste products of burning had to be taken away. The second technical report compiled after this waste was collected revealed the possibilities of reconstructing this historical building. This idea is problematic. The building is over 100 years old. When the circus was built in this place initially, the used materials weren’t the most resistant ones. The building was later adjusted for housing the National Philharmonic. The commission of experts suggested erecting a new building. I think this is the best way,” said Sergiu Prodan, noting the equipment of the modern philharmonic will cost more than the building works and this fact should be specified in the architecture project.
National Philharmonic director Svetlana Bivol agreed that it is better to construct a new building. “We would like to have a new, modern building,” she stated.
A sum of 2.5 million lei has been so far accumulated in the National Philharmonic’s accounts from donations and the sale of metallic materials that weren’t damaged by the fire. The Ministry of Finance has 2 million lei available for building works. The building that burned was estimated at 4 million lei.
