kostel svaté Anny (České Budějovice 1) Church

There is a building with a rich history in the street of the Knežská in the centre of České Budějovice. St. Anne's Church is the former temple of the Capuchin community and today the home scene of the South Bohemia Chamber Philharmonic. His story is a story of ups and downs, and finally a resurrection in a new form.

The history of the construction dates back to the early 17th century. The foundation stone of the monastery temple was laid in June 1615 - the construction of the second oldest Capuchin monastery in Bohemia began. The temple was completed in 1620 and ceremonially consecrated on 1 February 1621. It was turned by the side wall into the street of the Priesthood, while behind it the monastery was spread out. The construction had a typical Capuchin architecture with a characteristic triangle shield in the facade.

However, his period of prosperity was limited. Josephine's reforms of the 18th century marked a major turning point - in 1788 the Czech-Budějovice Capuchin Convention was abolished and the church closed for more than 15 years. The reopening didn't come until 1804. Another transformation took place between 1843 and 1844: the construction was classicically modified and lost its original appearance. The new shield replaced the original Capuchin triangular shield, and the building said goodbye to the order style.

The fundamental turn in the fate of the building came in 1988 when the South Bohemia Philharmonic bought it. The temple was transformed into the concert hall of Otakar Jeremiah, the home scene of the South Bohemian Chamber Philharmonic, the only South Bohemian professional Philharmonic founded in 1981. The first acoustic modifications to the hall took place in 1994.

The largest metamorphosis came from 2020 to 2021. The extensive reconstruction, financed by the budget of the South Bohemia Region for CZK 37 million, was intended to restore the hall to its original church simplicity and purity. Balconies have been removed, air conditioning has been upgraded and the interior appearance has changed. The number of seats decreased to 172 seats. The key element of the new acoustics was the floating white canopy hanging under the ceiling - 31 panels, each weighing an average of 30 kilograms. Wooden tiles on the back of the hall complement the space of simple lines, wood and contrast of black and white. The reconstruction was carried out by the construction company Auböck according to the design of the studio A8000.

Today Otakar Jeremiah Concert Hall is one of the main cultural centers of the city. They host concerts of the South Bohemian Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra and other artists, there are also traditional events such as the graduation of the Faculty of Education of South Bohemian University. The historical building thus serves its community live in the new robe.