The design of Vrchlický Gardens near the main railway station will be determined by a competition

Prague – The capital city will hold a competition for the design modifications of Vrchlický Gardens near the main railway station, connected with the planned construction of a tram line that is to run through the park. It will take the form of a competition dialogue, during which experts and representatives of the city hall, the transport company, Prague 1, and other stakeholders will engage with the designers. The city has already used the same format when searching for the project for the reconstruction of Karlovo náměstí. Today, Prague's councilors approved the competition, the results of which should be known in May next year.

The capital city is currently preparing a change to the zoning plan that will allow for the construction of new tracks connecting Vinohradská and the main railway station. It should be completed by the end of the year. The proposed route of the tracks will run from the National Museum to the State Opera, across the main road, and further to the station and Bolzanova Street. The routing also needs to be approved by the councilors. It is unclear when the construction will begin.

While the construction of the tracks will be overseen by the transport company (DPP), Prague 1 has been planning an overall revitalization of the park in front of the station for years, which is known among the locals by the nickname Sherwood and is frequented by homeless people and drug addicts. The aim of the competition approved today is to coordinate both projects.

"The tram line must be designed very meaningfully so that it does not become a barrier," said Deputy Mayor Petr Hlaváček (TOP 09) today. "We concluded that it is not possible to just insert a tram line there without it having other positive impacts," he added. Deputy Mayor Adam Scheinherr (Praha Sobě) noted that the tram between Vinohradská and the main station is one of the most important lines that should be created in the metropolis in the next ten years.

According to the approved material, experts in architecture, landscape architecture, heritage conservation, and traffic engineering will be involved in the competition dialogue, both in the role of invited experts and as members of the evaluation committee. The committee will also consist of representatives from the city hall, Prague 1, and DPP. The financing of both projects is to remain separate, so DPP will pay for the construction of the line, while the city district will cover the modifications in the park. According to the material, the city hall could provide Prague 1 with a targeted grant.

The current leadership of the capital city is also preparing the construction of a line from Vinohradská Street through Wenceslas Square, where it will connect to the tracks linking Vodíčkova and Jindřišská Streets. This construction does not require a change in the zoning plan. However, it is unclear when construction will begin.