Ostrava: The area in front of the main train station will be transformed

Ostrava - The space in front of the main train station in Ostrava-Přívoz is set to change its appearance next year. Trolleybus and tram drivers can look forward to an expanded turning point. Passengers will be able to use over a hundred parking spaces in front of the station. The dominant feature of the area will be a clock tower. According to the proposal by Ostrava architect David Kotek, coffee shops, shops, and galleries will also be created here. The Moravská Ostrava and Přívoz district will pay up to 50 million crowns for the renovations, and the funds are to be obtained from European funds, said deputy mayor Jiří Havlíček (ČSSD) to journalists today.
    "The completion of the station in Ostrava-Svinově is glass, the main station will be filled with metal so that we can differentiate between them. It will mainly be about the aesthetic enhancement of the entire area in front of the station. Everything will remain basically the same so that passengers can easily orient themselves," Kotek explained to ČTK.
    The space will be partially covered by a new shelter made of polished metal, new benches, trash cans, and lamps will be added. The existing fountain will be preserved, only simplified. Asphalt will be replaced with new paving, and the station will also be accessible for people with disabilities. "While today people can park in 60 spaces, after the aesthetic enhancement, the number of parking spaces will increase to 102," clarified the deputy mayor.
    According to the architect, the area in front of the station lacks enclosure, which is why he would like to build a new building. It would include stops for long-distance buses, coffee shops, shops, and a small gallery that will commemorate the author of the Přívoz zoning plan - Vienna architect Camillo Sitte. "The dominant feature of the building will be a clock tower, which will be visible to people arriving on Nádražní street. Simply a visible landmark," added the architect from the Ostrava studio PROJEKTSTUDIO.
    According to his proposal, the adjacent railway buildings owned by Czech Railways will also be reconstructed. The glazed facade of the main building is complemented by graphics featuring cloud motifs and the inscriptions Ostrava and Hlavní nádraží. During the day, the facade is intended to appear as an opaque wall from the outside, but it lets light inside and people in the building can see outside through it. After dark, the wall becomes transparent and both inscriptions stand out. "It is the principle of a twenty-four-hour facade, which corresponds to the non-stop operation of the station," said the architect to ČTK.
    According to Havlíček, the architect should complete the study within two weeks. "Then we will proceed to the project assignment, and we will select the most economical variant," clarified the deputy mayor. According to him, work should begin at the end of the year by dismantling the old roofing of the area in front of the station, with construction modifications starting next spring. In the future, the district plans, for example, to extend Skladištní or Porážkovu streets, where new building areas will be established.