Prague will renovate the park at Karlovo náměstí for 230 million CZK

Prague - The Prague magistrate will allocate 230 million crowns to renovate the park at Karlovo náměstí. The trees will be treated, a network of paths and a promenade will be created, and a café, playground, and markets will be added. This was stated to journalists today by the outgoing councilor Jana Plamínková (STAN). The Prague councilors selected the winner of the tender for the author of the renovation design today; it is the German studio Rehwaldt Landschaftsarchitekten in collaboration with the Czech architectural office BY Architects and the transportation office PD Filip. The Prague councilors also approved the study for the transformation of Klárova today.

"The project is very sensitive. I believe it could be a very good compromise between the demands of everyone. It is difficult to meet the requirements of heritage conservationists on one hand and Prague 2, which wants spaces for gathering and so on, on the other," said Plamínková.

The first work is expected to take place next year, when the old trees will be treated and the green areas will begin to be redesigned. After the project documentation is processed, the total renovation of the park should take place in 2025.

The routes of the paths will be modified to allow for easier passage through the park, especially from the metro entrances to the hospital or polyclinic. The paths will no longer be asphalted as before, but paved instead. The lawns will be preserved.

In the southern part, a café and children's playground will be created. In the middle section, there could be flower beds. A novelty will be QR codes in the sidewalks that will highlight the history of the square. Markets are planned in the area near the New Town Hall building.

The city, in collaboration with the Institute of Planning and Development (IPR), has been selecting the designers for more than a year. Architects were sought through a so-called competitive dialogue. This is an interactive format, during which the city, IPR, and the competitors communicated and agreed on the final form of the design.

The square has been partially modified in recent years. In 2015, the reconstruction of the tram track and the adjacent sidewalks was completed, followed by the repair of intersections and crossings. The park was last modified in 1998 near the New Town Hall. Environmentalists and residents of Prague 2 protested against the felling of trees at that time.

Karlovo náměstí, formerly known as Dobytčí trh, is the largest square in the Czech Republic with an area of 80,550 square meters and one of the largest in Europe. It measures 510 meters in length and 130 meters in width. In the center of the square stood a circular chapel of the Holy Body since 1300, where the imperial coronation jewels were displayed; it was demolished in 1791.

The study, which aims to improve traffic at Klárov near the A-Line Malostranská metro station, was provided to the city by the A69 studio. New trees, crossings, widened sidewalks, and boarding islands will be added to Klárov. The tram track will be straightened, and new lanes for cyclists will be created.

The so-called mouse hole, meaning the staircase from Klárov to Letná, is also set to be modified. The study anticipates a barrier-free adjustment. Another possible variant for the new traffic solution is also a restriction on turning into Valdštejnská Street from Kampa. This would significantly contribute to the calming of Malá Strana. The schedule anticipates implementation by 2023, and the estimated costs are about 400 million crowns.