Prague announces a competition for a new footbridge over Štvanice

A new footbridge and bike bridge will connect Holešovice and Karlín. Architects can submit their competition designs until July 25, and the winner will be announced after the subsequent jury meeting.

"The new bridge will create a new connection between the two urban districts. It will make life easier, especially for pedestrians and cyclists - the easiest connection between Karlín and Holešovice so far has been the popular ferry, which, however, does not operate in winter. Štvanice will finally be accessible all year round," said transport councilor Petr Dolínek.

"I am very pleased that both municipal districts - Prague 7 and Prague 8 - agreed to approach the bridge over Štvanice as one joint project, not as one bridge from Holešovice and another from Karlín," says Ondřej Boháč, director of the Prague Institute of Planning and Development (IPR Prague). "I believe that the architectural competition is the best way to achieve a high-quality design."

The construction of the bridge has long been included in the valid land use plan. On the Holešovice side, the bridge will connect to a densely populated residential area and the developing area of the Prague market, which may one day become an important cultural and social center. This will then be linked to the transformation area of Bubny, where a new urban district will be developed in the future. On the Karlín side, the bridge will connect immediately to the area of Rohanský embankment, where new buildings have been emerging over the last decade.

The island of Štvanice is particularly attractive for its sports and recreational potential. Karlín, in particular, is struggling with a lack of parks, and better connectivity with the predominantly green island could attract many new visitors. The nearest natural area is also Štvanice for the Lower Holešovice area.

Currently, access to the island is only possible via the Hlávkův bridge, which is burdened with heavy car traffic - access for pedestrians is lengthy and uncomfortable. The bridge will also ease the journey for cyclists, as it will connect the cycling routes along the river on both banks and support the possibility of a significant cycling line Žižkov-Karlín-Holešovice-Troja. The bridge will span the riverbed at a width of 38m between Karlín and Štvanice and 149m between Štvanice and Holešovice. It is expected to provide the most direct and level access.

The competition is announced for April 10, 2017, with the deadline for submitting proposals being July 25, 2017. The winner of the single-stage competition will be selected by a jury chaired by Mirko Baum, a Czech architect who works as a professor at a university in Aachen. In addition to him, there will be representatives from both municipal districts - Mayor Roman Petrus for Prague 8 and Councilor for Urban Development Lenka Burgerová for Prague 7 - and Prague's transport councilor Petr Dolínek. The competition is organized by IPR Prague, and the investor is the Municipality of the Capital City of Prague.