Danish studio Henning Larsen Architects has won the competition dialogue for the revitalization and reconstruction of the main railway station area in Prague with its design Št’astný Hlavák (Happy Main Station). Its main idea is a natural connection between Vrchlického Sady park, the New Terminal Hall, the new tram stop directly in front of the station and the historic Fanta building. The proposed design of the whole area emphasises sustainability, micromobility and bringing life back to Vrchlického Sady park. Henning Larsen Architects is part of the Danish Ramboll Group and is one of the world leaders in complex urban design.
The vision of Št’astný Hlavák is to welcome visitors to the city and prepare the public space to be a comfortable place for residents and passengers. The dominant feature of the design is the wooden roof structure, which brings a connection between the Vrchlického Sady area, the New Terminal Hall and the planned tram stop. The studio also divided Vrchlického sady into three parts – a cultural zone, a “station square” and a zone for additional activities. The division will also contribute to a much better visibility of the whole area. The design also works to improve conditions for pedestrians and cyclists and provides solutions for sustainable management of the whole area, for example through efficient rainwater management or a new approach to the park as an interpretation of the historic subdivision.
Št’astný Hlavák architecturally and urbanistically addresses the current issues of the whole area as a whole and responds to the needs of the individual authorities – the City of Prague, Správa Železnic and the Prague Public Transit Company. In connection with the planned calming of the arterial road, the modifications to the entire area will improve the mobility of passengers and Prague residents, thanks to a new tram stop directly in front of the New Terminal Hall and connections to Masaryk Station and other urban destinations.
Henning Larsen Architects are working with Vrchlického sady and the concourse as a whole and transferring some of the artistic elements from the concourse to the park, for example using the iconic pavement in the new “station square”. The design also provides for the planting of new greenery to better adapt to future climate change. The design of Vrchlického Sady will also lead to clear guidance of park users to other urban destinations, for example in the direction of Masaryk Station, which will also undergo modernisation and will be the starting point for trains to Prague Airport.
Nový Hlavák will also include a new tram line that will run from the National Museum to Wilson and Washington Streets to the New Terminal Hall and then along Opletalova Street to Bolzanova Street. This plan is already envisaged in the Prague Master Plan. The new line will bring better connection of the station to public transport and at the same time relieve the congested line between Vodičkova and Jindřišská streets.
After the announcement of the winning proposal, contracts will be signed and the study will be finalized based on the requirements of the contracting authorities and the public opinion based on the second round of participation by the city residents and other interested parties. This will take place at the turn of this year and next year. This will be followed by the preparation of the project documentation and its review for permitting. The implementation is expected to start in 2028 and according to preliminary estimates the implementation should cost about CZK 2 billion.
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