Culture Minister Kelemen Hunor stated on Friday that the project of turning the Palace Hall into a cultural mall, based on the 2006 plans, could not be put into practice, but argued the hall should be modernized on the inside, which would require an investment of over RON 30 M.
According to the minister, what could be undertaken at the Palace Hall is a rehabilitation of its interior, to perfect its acoustics. Thus, the entire hall could be panelled on the inside using a type of wood traditionally used for concert halls. “We haven’t given up on the idea of modernizing the Palace Hall, exclusively on the inside, but we don’t have the necessary financial resources. It can be done in two years’ time, but the Government has to take daring political action,” the Culture Minister stated, quoted by Mediafax.
On the other hand, the minister argues that the Bucharest Mayor’s Office intends to build a concert hall suited for classical music, rather than a polyvalent hall, and this project would be initiated fairly soon, out of their own resources.
The minister’s statements come in the wake of the call launched by several celebrated conductors – Antonio Pappano, Zubin Mehta, Valery Gergiev and Daniel Barenboim – who had concerts this September at the Palace Hall, within the “George Enescu” Festival, for the hall’s renovation.
