In the competition for the design of control points near the Castle, the Prague Atelier HRA was successful

Prague - The Prague Atelier HRA succeeded in a competition with a proposal for the design of checkpoints at the entrances to the Prague Castle area. This was announced today in a press release by the spokesperson for the castle administration, Natálie Máchová. Next year, the first prototype of the shelter is to be tested, and subsequently, all entrances are to be equipped with them. According to the Administration of Prague Castle, the shelters will protect against sun and rain, can be easily relocated, and can be reduced or expanded with additional modules.

In the competition, the castle administration collaborated with the Prague Institute of Planning and Development (IPR). The architectural-design competition was announced at the end of last year. A total of 28 teams entered the competition. The current shelters were hastily built in 2016.

"They appear undignified, the material is degrading, and above all, they do not meet technical requirements. We urged that the new checkpoints appear cultured and rather inconspicuous in the overall view. Although, according to the design, the structure will be reduced to about half, it meets all necessary technical requirements," stated the director of the Administration of Prague Castle, Pavel Vyhnánek.

The director of IPR, Ondřej Boháč, noted that the winning design was chosen by an expert jury based on a discussion involving specialists from heritage preservation, the police, the Castle Guard, and the research institute of the Czech Technical University (ČVUT). In the final selection, the jury anonymously decided among five proposals.

"We tried to introduce a design into the complicated historical environment, both visually and meaningfully, that does not seek to expand the centuries-old architectural and construction development of Prague Castle. The design acknowledges its temporary nature and does not base its object expression on it, nor does it behave like a festival attraction," stated Vít Šimek from Atelier HRA.

The Administration of Prague Castle began the gradual adjustment of the entrances this spring. Builders are currently installing retractable bollards on the Powder Bridge, which will replace barriers against entry, known as hedgehogs. In August, the work will move to Na Opyši Street. The installation of the bollards will then be followed by new checkpoints.