Corrected Zvonařce only lacks adjustments in front of the dispatch hall

Brno – Today, representatives of the city, the investor, and the architectural office officially opened the Zvonařka bus station in Brno. However, all platforms and the dispatch building have been accessible to passengers for a month. Now, there are two retail units left to fill in the hall, where there will be a café and bistro, and to adjust the area in front of the station. The city is responsible for this; it is currently preparing a project, said Brno mayor Markéta Vaňková (ODS) to ČTK today.

Zvonařka is now opening toward the city center with a new dispatch hall, located where the former platform and stalls were. Once the space in front of it is completed, the bus station will be conveniently accessible. "We are currently preparing a project for the adjustment of the area in front of the station, and we believe that work will begin by the end of this year. There will be sidewalks, a new public transport stop, and we also want as much greenery as possible to create a certain relaxation zone. Hopefully, everything will be ready by the middle of next year. We estimate the costs to be around 10 million crowns," Vaňková stated.

The investor of the modernization, which started at the end of 2019, is the company ČSAD Brno-město holding. "The costs exceeded 105 million crowns. The city helped us obtain a European grant that covered about 70 percent," added Antonín Grund on behalf of the owners.

The architects from the Chybik+Kristof studio were in charge of the modernization. "We were not aiming for golden handles and luxury materials; we wanted to create a dignified comfort worthy of the 21st century. I believe we succeeded. We shaped the building to guide passengers inside. We changed its orientation toward the city. Its striking red roof also flows into the public space of the station. The position of the hall also resulted in new numbering of the platforms," said one of the authors, Ondřej Chybík. According to him, the biggest challenge was to make do with a budget of a hundred million.

A new accessible sidewalk connects all platforms, running through the center of the station. The entire space is visually enhanced by new lighting, which adjusts its intensity according to surrounding daylight and saves electricity. An elevator has also been added to the roof, where people can newly utilize 53 Park and Ride parking spaces. Buses had previously parked there only. The capacity for them has been maintained.

The transformation of the station from the turn of the 70s and 80s was discussed for many years. The first phase began in November 2019. It primarily involved cleaning and painting the iron structure and overall brightening of the station using nearly 400 new lights. The second phase started a year ago. It involved changing and modernizing the platforms and constructing a new dispatch building made of glass and aluminum. The station began operating in partial service last December. The official opening was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.