Position of the Club for Old Prague on the results of the competitive dialogue regarding the reconstruction of the New Departure Hall of the Main Train Station

The Club for Old Prague has become acquainted with the results of the competitive dialogue on the revitalization of Vrchlický Sady and the reconstruction of the New Departure Hall at the Main Train Station. With astonishment and surprise, it must state that the outcome of the dialogue, which was supposed to improve and enhance the environment of the most significant train station in Prague according to the declared goals of the competition, is the demolition of almost the entire departure hall, which is one of the highest quality post-war buildings not only in Prague but in the entire Czech Republic. The proposal for the demolition of the hall is incomprehensible and unacceptable for the following reasons:

1) The departure hall is an outstanding work of the architectural team of Jan Bočan, Josef Danda, Zdeněk Rothbauer, and Jan and Alena Šrámková. At the time of its inception, it was a completely unique endeavor that managed to combine the requirements for modern operation with a thoughtful architectural expression, which remarkably reflects contemporary Western European architecture and represents an excellent creative connection of the modernist concept of open space with high-tech elements and echoes of emerging postmodernism. Additionally, its architecture sensitively responded to the Art Nouveau Fant's building, undoubtedly contributing to its preservation.

2) The departure hall is not only part of the Prague Heritage Reserve but also a protected cultural monument, as stated by the Ministry of Culture. The fact that the hall is protected alongside the Art Nouveau building by Josef Fant was also the reason why the Ministry of Culture did not initiate proceedings to declare the hall as a standalone monument. With the validity of the heritage protection, the competition organizer should have informed the participants in a timely manner and sought solutions in light of this fundamental circumstance.

3) The departure hall is protected by copyrights, which are undeniable, and their rigorous enforcement can be expected, as evidenced by the statement of Daniela Bočanová, who is the heir of the copyrights of one of the main authors of the project. The jury should have taken this fundamental circumstance into account in its decision-making.

4) The departure hall was reconstructed ten years ago at a cost of 1.2 billion CZK. Its demolition and radical reconstruction is incomprehensible not only from an economic standpoint but also from an ecological perspective. The costly demolition reconstruction of a recently reconstructed hall is even more absurd when placed in the context of the discussion about preserving the railway bridge at Výtoň, which has the same investor and is also a cultural monument, but for which the (disproportionately smaller) cost of reconstruction is one of the reasons for its proposed demolition.

5) The demolition of a large part of the enclosed hall and its replacement with an open pergola will paradoxically worsen the comfort of waiting travelers, as the full utilization of the open space is realistically feasible only for a smaller portion of the months in the year given the climatic conditions in Prague.

The Club for Old Prague greatly appreciates the efforts to cultivate the area around the station and definitely welcomes the introduction of a tram line to its vicinity. However, it is convinced that the demolition of the New Departure Hall is certainly not necessary for improving the forecourt of the station, the undeniable architectural qualities of which the project should, on the contrary, thoughtfully develop. For these reasons, the Club fundamentally disagrees with the presented project and hopes that its realization in this form will not occur.

prof. PhDr. Rostislav Švácha, CSc. Vice-chairman

doc. PhDr. Richard Biegel, Ph.D. Chairman

Prague, 30. 11. 2023