New Karolina will bring life to the center of Ostrava

Ostrava - The Ostrava district of Nová Karolina, which will be built over eight years on the site of a former coke plant, will bring vibrant life back to the city center. The square with parks and water features could become the main square of Ostrava in the future. Architect Vladimír Kružík from the company Helika, which is designing the construction, told journalists today. Within three years, there will be a retail and entertainment center, an administrative building, and residential houses on the site. People will stroll along a pedestrian street adorned with artistic sculptures.
    "The streets, alleys, and the square of Nová Karolina must be full of life. Therefore, in the new district, there will be shops, offices, apartments, cafes, and cultural institutions," Kružík explained. According to him, the architects have strived from the beginning to expand the existing center of Ostrava, from which "heavy industry" has "departed." "We do not want to create a competitor to today’s center. However, the square that will emerge in Karolina has ambitions to become the central square of Ostrava in the future," he told ČTK.
    Construction work began in June on an area seven times larger than Wenceslas Square, by the company Multi Development, which won a developer competition. In Nová Karolina, in addition to buildings, a boulevard, tentatively named Gallery Street, will be created by 2010. It will connect to the street leading in front of the House of Art. "Throughout the pedestrian zone, artistic sculptures will be placed - a certain analogy to Charles Bridge," Kružík said.
    A large sculpture will also stand in the new square, which will measure 100 by 80 meters, and will be completed in the second phase of construction. In the corners of the square, four separate parks will be created, symbolically representing the four seasons. "They will offer people semi-private spaces where they can relax," the architect hinted.
    The human scale of the entire Karolina design was also appreciated by internationally recognized architect Eva Jiřičná. According to her design, a steel footbridge will be built between Nová Karolina and the bus station in Ostrava, which will resemble interconnected hearts with its double-arch construction. "I was surprised by how much greenery and public space there will be in Nová Karolina for people," Jiřičná previously told ČTK.
    According to Kružík, pedestrians will also appreciate that the center of Nová Karolina will be non-through. "Drivers will comfortably bypass it along an outer route that will connect to the existing transport infrastructure. However, we do not want to create a 'dead' pedestrian zone, so, for example, residents could drive to residential buildings in the future. Others would park underground," the architect said.
    The industrial past of the coke plant will continue to be evoked by two preserved cultural monuments - the central station and the power plant, which will remain in their original form from the outside. "That is why we will not insulate them. We will also preserve the height of the surrounding terrain. Inside, a multifunctional hall will be created for concerts, exhibitions, or sporting events. The capacity of the so-called double hall will be up to 5000 people," Kružík added.
    The construction of Nová Karolina is divided into four phases and is expected to be completed in 2016. The total costs will reach 15 billion crowns, which is the highest investment in the post-revolutionary history of Ostrava.