The reconstruction of the Žižkov railway station would cost two billion

Prague - The reconstruction of the historically protected Žižkov Freight Station, which is to become a social and cultural center in the future, would cost between 1.1 and 1.7 billion crowns excluding VAT. When including the costs of purchasing the building and the design and engineering work, it amounts to approximately two billion crowns. This follows from the management plan available to ČTK.
The fate of the functionalist building has been the subject of heated discussions for several years. The company Žižkov Station Development, which was formed by the merger of Czech Railways and Sekyra Group, plans a massive construction project near the station. A new urban district is to be created. The Žižkov municipality recently entered into an agreement with the company, which allowed for a detailed construction economic analysis concerning the future of the monument.
The extensive management plan, backed by technicians, economists, builders, and architects, recommended the so-called conversion of the site. From a construction perspective, the station building is in good condition, but the technological structures above the railway, which were used for cargo transfer, require significant restoration. They are in very poor condition and face destruction, as stated in the document.
According to the plan, it is necessary for future users to also become co-owners of the station for the restoration of the historically protected building. However, it would require a change in the agreement between Czech Railways and the company Nákladové nádraží Žižkov, which has a preemptive right to the building. The price of the property is around 200 million crowns.
The investor initially planned to demolish the station. However, a portion of both the professional and general public opposed this. The Ministry of Culture eventually decided that the station, which sits on extensive unused land, must be preserved. The original plans for the construction of a new urban district are still in place. The station will become its center.
However, the question of the further use of the vast historically protected building has arisen. Doubts remain about who will finance any potential takeover and reconstruction. The municipality and some non-profit organizations are striving for the building to become a center for cultural activities. The previously discussed location of the National Film Institute (NFÚ) is still on the table. In recent months, the State Printing House of Securities has also shown interest.
Constructed in the 1930s, the building was considered by experts to be one of the most modern of its kind in Europe, both in terms of technology and architecture.