Prague will establish a project committee for the renewal of Karlovo Square

Prague - The Prague City Hall will establish a committee for the reconstruction of Karlovo Square, which will oversee the progress of its renovation. The members will include representatives from the city, Prague 2, the Institute of Planning and Development (IPR), preservationists, and architects. It will be formed by the end of this April. This information comes from a document that was approved by the Prague councilors today. At the same time, a manager for the square will be appointed, who will be responsible for its management. The renovation will introduce a new network of paths, care will be taken of the greenery, and a playground and promenade will be added. Work is expected to begin in about five years. The repair of the square will cost 320 million crowns.

The committee will be convened by its secretary, Rozálie Kašparová from IPR. All members must be invited to each meeting; if any member cannot attend, they must send a representative. "The main task of the project committee is to collaboratively compile the guidelines for the individual phases of the project documentation and oversee its preparation," the document states.

At the same time as the committee, the city leadership wants to select a manager for the park at Karlovo Square. The reason, according to the document, is that it has not yet been precisely determined who will be in charge of the park in the future. The manager would be selected from amongst the City Hall officials.

Prague has been addressing the renovation of the square for several years. In 2017 and 2018, the city, together with IPR, selected a design from the German studio Rehwaldt Landschaftsarchitekten in collaboration with the Czech architectural firm BY Architects and the transportation office PD Filip.

The paths will be modified to allow for easier transit through the park, especially from the metro entrances to the hospital or polyclinic. The paths will not be asphalt like before, but paved. The lawns will be preserved. A café and a children's playground will be created in the southern part. In the central area, flower beds could be situated. 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.

Currently, the situation at the intersection by the mouth of Resslova Street remains unresolved. Here, the creation of four pedestrian crossings is proposed, allowing pedestrians who currently have to use the underpass at the exit from the B metro station Karlovo náměstí to cross more easily.

Karlovo Square, 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 the circular chapel of the Holy Body from the year 1300, which housed the imperial coronation jewels, and was demolished in 1791.