A rescue plan for the Žižkov Freight Station is taking shape!

The contributions of the Minister of Transport Pavel Dobeš, the first Deputy Mayor of Prague Tomáš Hudeček, and Petr Žaluda, the General Director of Czech Railways, were introduced by a groundbreaking event: at the Tuesday opening of the exhibition "Prague Stations: Not/Utilized" at the Jaroslav Fragner Gallery, Minister of Transport Pavel Dobeš agreed with the Director of the National Film Archive, Michal Bregant, that the architecture and construction of the unique Žižkov Freight Station could become a new base for this renowned cultural institution. In recent weeks, a strong wave of dissent against the plan for its centralization and the construction of a new headquarters in Nové Butovice in Prague 13 has risen not only among filmmakers. "The National Film Archive could lay the foundation for a culturally and socially significant center with European importance in Žižkov. The area has all the prerequisites for it,” Michal Bregant stated. You can view the statement regarding this intention, which would also assist the developer striving for the development of the entire Žižkov station area, here: http://vimeo.com/38106007.

Visitors to the Jaroslav Fragner Gallery in Prague can see how students from the Faculty of Architecture and the Faculty of Civil Engineering at Czech Technical University envision the possible form of the Žižkov Station until March 13. More at www.gjf.cz.

“Stations were not built just as transport hubs, but primarily as natural centers of cities, meeting places, and hubs of social events. I welcomed the intention to organize a professional conference on this topic, as I believe it will provide valuable space for professional discussion that can help outline the future form of Prague's railway hubs, alleviate urban traffic, and improve living conditions for residents. For the further development of regional rail transport, it is crucial to complete some additional modernization projects on the corridor routes. The city definitely does not want to continue shutting down other stations, such as Prague – Vyšehrad; instead, we are focused on the revitalization of railway stations,” evaluated the event Prague Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda.

During the panels and subsequent discussion, consensus opinions emerged, stating that architectural and urban planning competitions should be held without exception for key areas, but with prior active dialogue with citizens. This could be supported, for example, by the newly established position of the Chief Architect of Prague. Voices calling for a much more active approach from Prague or the state, which should behave more like a developer or investor with a perspective of long-term sustainable projects in its ownership, did not go unheard. “We certainly do not oppose the purchase of key railway properties and their revitalization in cooperation with the Prague City Hall. We realize their value and potential. I can envision one or two projects already this year,” stated Minister of Transport Pavel Dobeš, “The Ministry of Transport and the City of Prague have already agreed to address the issue of unused railway properties based on mutual cooperation. Among other things, this is facilitated by a memorandum that is prepared for signing on April 5, 2012.”

Minister Pavel Dobeš also advocated a sensitive and thoughtful approach to Prague's stations in the main part of the conference: “Not only in Prague but across the Czech Republic, there are many railway structures that have ceased to serve their purpose and are often in poor condition. Therefore, I believe the project 'Prague Stations: Not/Utilized' will help expand the dialogue between the capital city, the Ministry of Transport, and developers about the future of significant structures of industrial architecture from the 19th and 20th centuries.”

“The Prague railway node is not a historical topic. Industrial heritage forms the skeleton of Prague's urbanism, and Prague stations and railway areas are a clear testament to that,” warns Benjamin Fragner from the Research Center for Industrial Heritage at the Faculty of Architecture at Czech Technical University, which co-organizes the exhibition and also published a accompanying catalog. He adds: “The preserved structures and significant technical works, as evidenced by foreign examples, are the memory of places undergoing transformation and strategic anchor points for further development. They must be approached as such, and their demolition, while it may seem advantageous in terms of immediate financial effect, represents a clear cultural and economic loss in the long term. For the future, transformed places help to distinguish and make them unique, ultimately making them more commercially attractive.”

The status of a monument should not be an obstacle to the successful revitalization of railway properties and buildings. By the way, in the Czech Republic, about 5% of all railway buildings enjoy this status.

“The Czech railway includes hundreds of station buildings, many of which were constructed during the Austro-Hungarian era and subsequently mutilated by careless modifications and neglect in recent decades. Necessary repairs will cost tens of billions, which Czech Railways, the Railway Infrastructure Administration, or the Ministry of Transport do not currently have,” stated the General Director of Czech Railways Petr Žaluda. “Gradually repairing the dispatch buildings, modernizing spaces for passengers, and finding new uses for abandoned structures are the priorities of Czech Railways. However, we live in a time when companies, ministries, regions, and municipalities are literally turning every crown. Therefore, the discussion about the future of Prague's stations must not remain at the level of idealistic ideas, but we must primarily talk about ways to finance such projects.”

The example of using the functionalist gem of the Žižkov Freight Station by institutions like the National Film Archive is a way to finance costly conversion or reconstruction projects from multiple sources. According to Pavel Kalina, an art historian from the Faculty of Architecture at Czech Technical University, the Žižkov Station clearly calls for a different developer approach: “Prague still lacks a Kunsthalle model, a kind of temple of human life and creativity that would counterbalance St. Vitus Cathedral on the opposite bank of the Vltava.”

Additionally, many successful foreign examples demonstrate that a similarly conceived “magnet” for the public and well-designed public spaces could stimulate further commercial development – apartments, shops, offices… “Wherever people go or flow, there is also business,” commented Dan Merta, one of the main organizers of the whole event, on the vision of saving the Žižkov Freight Station.

The potential arising from collaboration between the private sector (developers) and young creators across creative industries was demonstrated in his speech by architect Carlos Baztan Lacasa from the Madrid City Hall. He described the challenging revitalization project of Matadero Madrid (Madrid Río), the former city slaughterhouse, during which approximately 15 structures and extensive public space were adapted over the past seven years. Among other things, it was necessary to relocate a busy road underground. “I do not hide that the current operation of the entire complex is as demanding as the decision to initiate this costly investment project. However, it is excellent that the project attracts the attention of several commercial partners like Red Bull and others,” stated Carlos Baztan Lacasa.

The conference and exhibition were under the patronage of the Minister of Transport of the Czech Republic Pavel Dobeš, as well as the Mayor of Prague Bohuslav Svoboda.


PRAGUE STATIONS: NOT/UTILIZED
March 7, 2012 - March 13, 2012
Open daily from 11 AM to 7 PM (March 13 only until 5 PM!)

JAROSLAV FRAGNER GALLERY
Betlémské náměstí 5a, Prague 1
t. 222 222 157, t/f. 222 221 746
e-mail: [email protected]
http://www.gjf.cz
Facebook: Galerie Jaroslava Fragnera

The exhibition is held under the patronage of Pavel Dobeš, Minister of Transport of the Czech Republic.

Part of the MK ČR project within the NAKI program
Industrial Topography of the Czech Republic –
New Use of Industrial Heritage as Part of National and Cultural Identity

Organizers:
Jaroslav Fragner Gallery
Research Center for Industrial Heritage FA ČVUT
There is no developer o.s.

Supported by:
Ministry of Transport of the Czech Republic
Czech Railways, a.s.
City of Prague

Exhibition concept: Benjamin Fragner, Dan Merta
Author collaboration: Lukáš Beran, Petr Herman, Tomáš Skřivan, Vladislava Valchářová, Jan Zikmund, Michal Zlámaný
Graphic design: Tomáš Skřivan, Jan Zikmund, Štěpán Malovec
Production: Klára Pučerová, Zuzana Prokopová, Dagmar Tomášová, Matěj Stropnický
Thanks: Pasta Oner, Václav Kokeš