Prague opened the first test space in the arch of the Negrelli Viaduct

Prague – A cultural and social space created by glazing one of the arches of the Negrelli Viaduct has started operating today in Prague's Karlín. It is primarily for hosting non-commercial events. Representatives of the Prague City Hall and its company Trade Centre Prague (TCP), which is responsible for it, opened the space today. This is the first trial phase of the project, which will last for two years, after which the city aims to glaze all approximately 40 arches of the bridge and create cultural, social, and commercial spaces there.

The creation of the space with a wooden installation at the intersection of Sokolovská and Prvního pluku streets cost approximately eight million crowns, according to councilor Adam Zábranský (Pirates), of which half went towards various connections and other infrastructure managed by the city's Technical Road Administration (TSK). Monitoring of operations during the two-year testing phase will be overseen by a professional team from the Klokner Institute and the Faculty of Civil Engineering at the Czech Technical University in Prague.

According to Zábranský, the space will serve both for paid commercial events and for neighborhood associations, city companies, or cultural events. Anyone can apply for rental at TCP. "A lot will depend on the interest; TCP is open to cooperation with anyone and will try to run programs to see what the space can actually handle," the councilor said. He added that in the next two years, the limits of the technical solution and the impact on the monument-protected viaduct will be tested, which was also a condition set by heritage protectors and the Railway Administration (SŽ).

The councilor added that in the future, after glazing all the arches, the city plans to commercially rent out 40 percent of them, for example to cafés or shops, 40 percent will be designated for cultural use, and the remaining 20 percent will be reserved for short-term rentals to young innovative companies.

Deputy Mayor Petr Hlaváček (STAN) added that the area is expected to see further development, especially in connection with the city hall's plans for the nearby building of the Karlín barracks and the development intentions of the Penta company around Florence. "The entire area will gradually transform into a vibrant urban district with quality architecture and urban and state projects, such as the future railway hub in Prague," he stated. Zábranský added that there are also plans to improve the public spaces around the viaduct. "Currently, they act as spontaneous parking lots, but this should not be the case in the future," he explained.

The Negrelli Viaduct is the first railway bridge in Prague crossing the Vltava and the second oldest standing bridge in Prague. It connects Masaryk Station across Štvanice Island with Bubny. The structure, which is 1,100 meters long and was put into operation in early June 1850, is a protected monument. It is named after its builder, Alois Negrelli. The glazing installation follows the complete reconstruction of the viaduct from 2017 to 2020, which cost nearly two billion crowns.