Prague, Czech Republic
Designed by Zaha Hadid and Patrik Schumacher, from competition in 2016, together with local architects Studio Jakub Cigler Architekti for Penta Real Estate, the Masaryčka Station Development (MSD) was created to integrate the Správa železnic (Czech Railways) reconstruction of the historic Masaryk Railway Station together with a new public park partially over the railway tracks.
The Masaryčka design is a unifying architectural response defined by circulation routes through the site giving access to new civic spaces within a major transport hub for the city.
Construction of the Masaryčka continues with the structure of the retail levels on the ground and first floors now completed.
Work has begun on the higher levels of cantilevered offices with terraced roof gardens.
Located adjacent to the railway station on a derelict site that has stood abandoned for several decades, Masaryčka will replace the existing car park on Havlíčkova Boulevard with a new public square that includes entrances to the city’s metro network.
This new square will create a welcoming gateway to the city for suburban and domestic rail services as well as passengers using the planned airport rail link to Prague’s Vaclav Havel International Airport.
Establishing a dialogue with the urbanism of Prague’s Old Town, known as ‘the city of 100 spires’, external fins within Masaryčka’s façade transforms the project’s horizontal composition along Na Florenci Street to the verticality of its western end facing the spires of the Old Town.
Targeting LEED Platinum certification, Masaryčka’s design incorporates roof gardens and a triple-insulated façade that ensures optimal natural light at all work stations and communal areas.
Natural ventilation will be supported by a high-efficiency plant with waste heat recovery systems.
Photovoltaics will harvest renewable energy while smart management systems will continually monitor and adjust environmental controls to reduce energy consumption.
Extensive planting of shrubs and trees irrigated by rainwater collection, including the transformation of Na Florenci Street into a tree-lined avenue, will provide the new district with cooling summer shade and natural air purification.
Low-flow systems and grey-water recycling will further reduce the center’s water consumption.
When completed in 2023, Masaryčka will provide a new pedestrian route between Na Florenci Street in the north and Hybernská Boulevard to the south, in addition to enhancing accessibility to the railway platforms below.
The new 28,000 sq.m building will incorporate seven stores within its eastern section and reaches nine stories at its western end.
Project: Masaryčka Building
Architects: Zaha Hadid Architects
Design Architects: Zaha Hadid and Patrik Schumacher
Competition Team: DaeWha Kang, Jakub Klaska, Michal Wojtkiewicz, Malgorzata Kowalczyk, Fernanda Mugnaini, Matthew Carapiet, Bogdan Zaha, Chenxi Gong, Maya Boustany, Jan Klaska, and Brian Dale
Concept and Schematic Design Team: Jim Heverin, and Craig Kiner, Jakub Klaska, Sara Sheik Akbari, Javier Rueda, Jan Klaska, Saman Dadgostar, Yifan Zhang, Moa Carlson, Juan Montiel, Carlos Parrada-Botero, Monika Bilska, Harry Spraiter, Ovidiu Mihutescu, Niran Buyukkoz, Nan Jiang, and Horatiu Valcu
Detailed Design Team: Jim Heverin, Jakub Klaska, Victor Orive, Harry Spraiter, Javier Rueda, Aiste Dzikaraite, Sven Torres, Muriel Boselli, Maria Touloupou, and Thomas Bagnoli
Construction Design Team: Jim Heverin, Jakub Klaska, Harry Spraiter, Aleksandra Mnich-Spraiter, and Devansh Daisaria
Architects of Record: Studio Jakub Cigler Architekti (JCA)
Client: Penta Real Estate
Renderings: Studio Horak
