The Vyšehrad Station may soon undergo renovation

Prague - The devastated Vyšehrad railway station in Prague is likely to undergo repairs in the foreseeable future. The study for the reconstruction and use of the building will be prepared by architect Martin Kotík and his studio Omikron-K. The first draft is expected to be ready by the end of April, Kotík told ČTK today. The police are investigating the demolition of the adjacent waiting room building without the approval of the heritage conservationists and the railway authority.
    The architect agreed to collaborate with the company TIP Estate, which won the tender for the sale of the building from the Czech Railways last year, on Monday. "By the end of June, we are to complete a conceptual study, which we will discuss with both Prague 2 and the city heritage conservationists, as well as the National Heritage Institute," Kotík stated. However, the first rough draft should be ready two months earlier.
    The architect had initial discussions with Prague 2 today. "We agreed on the steps we will take to ensure that the elephant-in-the-china-shop step that began this does not happen again," Kotík recalled the recent demolition of the waiting room, which had been declared a cultural monument. "If I were doing it, I would do it differently," Kotík added. The small building stood between the tracks and was connected to the main building by an underpass.
    The architect also plans further construction. However, the municipal authority of the second Prague district is reserved about this. "The main building is a typical solo house; it is a monument that is difficult to integrate into a row of houses," said deputy mayor Václav Vondrášek (ODS). According to Vondrášek, some additional construction might be possible, but the municipal authority would not look favorably upon continuous development there - "some kind of street front." Prague 2 manages a residential building and a school in the vicinity of the station, and the architect would like to work with the documentation for these properties as well.
    The destruction of the waiting room is being investigated by the police for suspicion of criminal misuse of property, police spokesperson Iva Knolová told ČTK today. The perpetrator in such a case faces up to two years in prison, a fine, or confiscation of the property. "The problem is that it is necessary to quantify the damage to the building and the trees that were cut down," Knolová stated. Expert assessments are currently being processed. The owner, in addition to illegally cutting down shrubs and trees on the land next to the station, also destroyed a new sidewalk made of mosaic paving. The Czech Environmental Inspectorate and the environmental department of Prague 2 are also handling the case.
    The station building is in poor condition. "There will be problems with it; the building has been empty for 15 or 20 years," Kotík said. Another challenge awaits the architect in finding the right use for the building. "Theoretically, the simplest thing is to say we’ll turn it into a cultural center, but that is very cheap. That is a school assignment, which sounds good when no one knows what to do, but no one knows what that is," the architect remarked. Nevertheless, Kotík believes that the building should serve the public. "Of course, there should also be something to ensure that the investor who puts money into it is not just the one putting money in," Kotík added.
    For the historic building, which is in very poor condition, the railways have been looking for tenants since the early '90s. Last year, they announced a tender, and TIP Estate offered the highest bid. The Prague 2 municipal authority was also interested in the building, wanting to establish a cultural and social center there.