General designer chosen for Prague's Smíchov Terminal, construction could start in four years

If everything proceeds without problems, construction itself will start in 2024 after the approval of a zoning decision and a valid building permit on the basis of documentation provided by an approved general designer.

“A 21st century traffic terminal will be designed in Prague, and we are moving closer to the project by selecting a general designer. The neglected traffic structure in a few years will become a modern traffic hub that has been missing in Prague,” Deputy Mayor Adam Scheinherr (Praha sobě) said.

“In the past, different types of railway stations were built in different places, bus stations in one place, train stations in another place. In Smíchov, on the other hand, passengers will be able to use long-distance, regional and city trains and buses, subways, and trams at one terminal, and be able to leave their car in a large P + R parking lot with one thousand spaces. Moreover, everything will be simple, safe and clear thanks to modern building solutions,” he added.

The general designer was selected on the basis of an evaluation of multiple criteria from a total of four bids with a price of 141,600,000 CZK, excluding VAT. The aim is to ensure high technical, but also architectural quality of the resulting work.

The next step will be signing the contract and the commencement of the work, which will be coordinated with the Railway Administration and their reconstruction of the Smíchov railway station. In addition to the terminal and reconstructed stations, there will also be administrative buildings for the Railway Administration and a new footbridge over the railway yard connecting the current Smíchov with the new development project Smíchov city.

Construction, which will follow after the designs are complete and permits are issued, will involve major renovations to busy Nádražní Street, along with work at adjacent Dobříšská Street, where the Park + Ride parking lot is slated to be built. The total cost of the project was previously estimated at 2.9 billion CZK.

The plan to develop the terminal was first announced by the Prague Institute for Planning and Development (IPR) at the end of 2018.

A parking lot and a bus terminal will be built across the street from the location of the current railway station, and the two stations will be connected by two covered walkways above the tracks. Suburban and long-distance bus lines will be served on the roof of the new building and also on top of the rail station.

The current bus terminal at Na Knížecí will be phased out and that site will be developed into a public building with a plaza.

The existing Smíchovské nádraží will not be torn down. Instead it will be incorporated into the new structure. The building, built in the 1950, will be restored but the stands in front of it will be torn down. The existing station is home to some significant mid-20th century murals and public art.

The terminal will be near the planned Smíchov City project, which will create a new neighborhood on the site of the former Smíchov freight station. The entire project will cover 216,099 square meters of land. According to Sekyra Group, approximately 3,300 residents will be housed in Smíchov City, and it will have 190,000 square meters for services, shops and offices, which will, in turn, provide for 9,000 jobs.