Prague councillors approve plan change for the roofing of the main railway station

The Prague city council has agreed to an amendment to the zoning plan requested by the owners of the land around the main railway station to allow for the roofing of the tracks and the construction of houses. The motion was approved by city councillors yesterday and will still be voted on by deputies. The application for the change was submitted by CR-City, which includes Czech Railways and Penta, among others.

The landowners plan to roof the platform and build residential or office buildings at the station. One of the options, according to an earlier statement by Penta spokesman Martin Lánský, is the construction of a new National Library building or other public buildings. The exact form of the project is not yet clear, and the scope of the development is to be specified when the change to the zoning plan is processed, according to representatives of the municipality.

The intention was previously criticised by the Pirates of Prague 2, who, according to their statements, disagree "with this non-transparent and hastily tailored procedure" and demand more public participation. Any similarly fundamental change must be preceded by professional and public discussion with all stakeholders, they said. The intention has also been criticised by the Club for Old Prague and the non-profit organisation Arnika.

Penta is currently building houses around the nearby Masaryk railway station. Here, for example, a house designed by the architectural studio of architect Zaha Hadid is being built, and Penta will build a platform over it to span the tracks during the reconstruction of Masaryk Station. It will allow people to walk from Florence to Hybernská Street and from Masaryk to the main station.

Source: CTK