All renderings courtesy of Zaha Hadid Architects

London-based Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) – founded by the late Zaha Hadid – has unveiled its design to revitalise the decades-old disused site adjacent to the Masaryk Railway Station in Prague, Czech Republic. The project is a partnership between ZHA and the Masaryk Station Development (MSD) consortium.

ZHA’s new site will include a new central business district (CBD), in response to the city’s demands for more office spaces, in light of its expanding service and IT industries. Furthermore, the new site will also possess several public plazas and meaningful transportation networks, as it is set to transform into a vibrant and lively civic district.

ZHA’s intervention to the site is guided by a sensitive intent to connect and unite. The renderings spot golden skyscrapers and glazed buildings that vary in scale and composition – designed to complement Prague’s existing urban landscape. Prague’s Districts 1, 3 and 8 will be merged to minimise the separating impact of the elevated Wilsonova Highway.

Greater access will be granted to the new CBD – various city transport networks will be imparted to the Masaryk Station, including a bus terminal, suburban and domestic railway services with a new airport link to Prague’s Vaclav Havel International Airport.

Developed with urbanism in mind, the design was based on ZHA’s detailed analysis of the city. Craig Kiner, Project Associate at ZHA says, “We have developed an urbanism for the site which draws inspiration from our analysis of the city and the site’s dynamic circulation networks.”

ZHA’s regeneration is set to bring life back to the 22,000 square metres of derelict land, generating approximately 90,000 square metres of space for office, retail and public usage. The phase one construction is estimated to complete in 2020, with all phases completed by 2022.

The overall intention was to create “an architectural response that is sensitive to context, unifying in aspiration and contributes to the urban fabric of Prague,” Kiner concludes.

Zaha Hadid Architects
zaha-hadid.com