Žižkov Station is likely to become a monument again

Prague - The freight station Žižkov is likely to become a cultural monument again. The Department for Heritage Protection of the Ministry of Culture has expert assessments available that support the heritage protection of this industrial building. Helena Benýšková from the association Tady není developerovo said this to ČTK today, after the group discussed the station with Minister of Culture Alena Hanáková (STAN) on Tuesday.
The building had previously been declared a monument, but after the owner's appeal, former Minister of Culture Jiří Besser revoked the decision and returned the case to his heritage officials for review. Anna Matoušková, the Deputy Minister of Culture, also attended Tuesday's meeting. According to her, the heritage department will issue a decision in the near future, and she described the possibility that it would decide differently than last time as "very problematic".
Therefore, the station will likely become a cultural monument again. However, it is very likely that the property owner will appeal again. In that case, the appeal authority, namely the Minister of Culture herself, would decide on its heritage protection. According to her statement on Tuesday, the cultural value of the building is "undeniable".
According to Benýšková, a round table will be organized regarding the station's issues, featuring heritage officials, architects, civic initiatives, the owner, the investor, and the local municipality. Representatives of the initiative also invited the minister, as well as to the planned international conference on successful conversions of industrial sites worldwide and an exhibition mapping Prague's train stations and their fates, which are set to take place in March.
According to a previous decision by the Ministry of Culture, the main building, the adjacent gatehouses, and the fencing could become a monument. The main building, shaped like the letter U, is composed of an administrative part along Jana Želivského Street and two wings of the transshipment areas.
Not only supporters of industrial monuments are waiting for a decision from the Ministry, but especially the investor of the planned redevelopment of the entire area and its surroundings. The investor is the company Žižkov Station Development, owned by Sekyra Group and České dráhy. They plan to build a new district on the premises of the station. The final decision from the Ministry of Culture should also be reflected in the change of the zoning plan, which is necessary for the potential redevelopment of the entire area.