Náměstek primátora: Tržnice v Holešovicích se víc otevře a bude zelenější<br> Deputy Mayor: The market in Holešovice will become more open and greener

Prague - The Prague market in Holešovice will open up more to the public and become greener. The current fencing will be reduced and new open spaces will be created. The design of the public areas in the market was proposed by Studio Perspektiv, which won the municipal architectural and urban competition. This was stated today by the mayor's deputy Pavel Vyhnánek (Prague Together) and representatives of the jury and the winning studio. The owner of the market area is the capital city, which is gradually renovating it.

"The design opens up the area and makes it more accessible," Vyhnánek said regarding the winning proposal. According to him, the market should after the planned modifications be accessible to all age and income groups. People will be able to visit the area not only with the prospect of shopping in the local stores but also with more opportunities to spend leisure time in the market, he stated.

The market area will get new entrances, which should be divided into pedestrian entrances and driveways for cars, as well as a new square. According to the architects' proposal, this should be near the former water tower. The spaces will be enlivened by new water features and modular furniture that will offer seating areas. A children's playground is also proposed. The creation of new elements is made possible, among other things, by the reduction of the current "heavy" fence, according to the winning team. Instead, the architects proposed planting a belt of trees around the entire area.

According to architects Ján Antal and Martin Stára from Studio Perspektiv, the addition of trees was key to their design. Several dozen trees will be planted in the area. The jury, which included architects Gabu Heindl, Štěpánka Šmídová, and Irakli Eristavi, also appreciated the work on climate change and urban heat island themes in the proposal. The jury selected from the proposals of 18 teams that participated in the competition. The second place went to the proposal by the studio Between, and the third was occupied by the proposal from the studio Boele.

The design work for the transformation of public spaces in Prague's market will take about two years. The actual modifications are planned in stages. According to Vyhnánek, the transformation of the market will take about ten years, with the first changes expected to be visible around 2027.

Last year, the city had two buildings at the entrance to the area from Jateční Street demolished in the market, which is a cultural monument. According to Vyhnánek, the buildings were from the 1990s and did not fit into the historical appearance of the market. In May, the Prague municipality is expected to announce a public contract for a designer for the transformation of the spaces between the buildings. The tender is expected to cost the metropolis 52.07 million crowns. Individual buildings in the market will also be reconstructed.

The area, originally the Prague slaughterhouse, was founded in 1895. It operated as a slaughterhouse until the 1980s when it began to be transformed into a market. The area has been declared a cultural monument.