Penta announced a competition for the design of the square near Masaryk Station

Prague - The company Penta Real Estate has announced an architectural and urban planning competition for the design of the square near Masarykovo nádraží at the intersection of Havlíčkova, Na Florenci, and V Celnici streets. This was communicated by Penta's spokesperson Ivo Mravinac. Currently, the space primarily functions as a parking lot, which is set to change. The company wants to build a new neighborhood around the station, with the construction of the first two buildings expected to start in the first quarter of next year, according to the spokesperson. The project is criticized by several institutions and also by local residents and associations.

According to Mravinac, the costs for improving the space will be about 30 million crowns, with the company agreeing to pay half based on a 2017 agreement, while the city will finance the rest. Overall, according to the spokesperson, the company will invest over 70 million crowns into the improvements around the station, including Na Florenci street.

The competition for the modifications of the square will be in two rounds and will be open to architectural firms and students. "The deadline for the first round of the competition is January 11 of next year, and Penta Real Estate aims to know the winner, together with the magistrate and the city district of Prague 1, by mid-April,” Mravinac stated. The new square is expected to feature relaxation zones, additional trees, and the entrances to the Náměstí Republiky metro station are also planned to be transformed.

Penta's planned project on the brownfield around the station has, according to Mravinac, a valid zoning decision and construction is expected to start at the beginning of next year. The first two connected blocks of buildings near the station are intended to be primarily administrative and are to be completed in 2023. Further buildings behind the main road towards Florenc should, based on a recent agreement with the city, be at least half designated for housing. For the second part of the project, the company will announce an international urban planning competition in March next year, according to Mravinac.

The project has many critics, including the opposition in Prague 1, the National Heritage Institute, and organizations like Arnika and Klub Za Starou Prahu. The planned development has also been criticized by the Czech National Committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS). According to them, the development does not comply with the commitments arising from international treaties for the protection of cultural heritage. The Public Defender of Rights, Stanislav Křeček, recently stated that he would take the initiative to examine the authorities' procedures regarding the construction approval.

The design for the new neighborhood was created by the studio of the late British architect Zaha Hadid. The buildings are expected to be up to nine stories high, with the most prominent building, according to architect Hadid's design, resembling tracks on its façade that will transition into a structure reminiscent of a golden tower.