Prague is preparing an urban planning competition for the modifications of Victory Square

Prague - Prague is preparing an international urban planning competition for the modifications of Vítězné náměstí in Prague 6. This follows from the material that Prague's councilors are set to discuss on Tuesday. The competition should bring proposals for the enhancement of the square, solutions for traffic in the square, and the use of the ground floors of buildings. A working group composed of politicians and architects will oversee the competition's brief. The square, designed in the 1920s, has not yet been completed and is additionally burdened by a high level of traffic.

The competition is being prepared by the Institute of Planning and Development (IPR) in collaboration with the Prague 6 municipality and the mentioned working group, which will also include the mayor, Adriana Krnáčová. The task for the urban planning competition is expected to be completed by the end of April 2017.

According to the document, the square is both unfinished and affected by poor layout of public spaces. Therefore, the competition should suggest how and where it should be completed or which areas should instead be consolidated into a single public entity. In the past, there were disputes over the construction of a building known as the Polar Bear, against which local residents protested. Proposals in the competition should also provide functioning solutions for the ground floor of the buildings around the square.

The traffic situation in the square should also be resolved, through which cars, trams, and public transport buses pass. Vehicle traffic significantly increased in the past year following the opening of the Blanka tunnel. Drivers travel through the square and subsequently through Svatovítská and Prašný bridge to and from the tunnel.

The planned study and potential transformation of the square is welcomed by the Prague 6 municipality. "The current situation is truly tragic. Given the current traffic load, the area here does not meet the requirements of a quality urban public space nor the demands of its fundamental traffic functionality," stated deputy mayor Martin Polách (ANO).

Vítězné náměstí was created in 1925 and several roads lead to it - Evropská, ČSL Armády, Jugoslávských partyzánů, Svatovítská, and Dejvická. Throughout its history, it has had several names, including from 1952 to 1990, it was called the October Revolution. The building of the Ministry of Defense stands on the square. During the previous regime, there was a statue of V.I. Lenin here, whose pedestal served skateboarders after the Velvet Revolution.