Prague's Hostivař to get brand new center in massive facelift

The center of Prague 15’s Hostivař will for the first time have a defined center in a new development that sets out to transform the area, which will feature a new large-scale complex with offices, apartments, a hospital, a kindergarten, and multiple shops and services.

The Prague Institute for Planning and Development announced the winner of a bidding process to take over the project on Thursday. The winning developer was a consortium of construction and architecture companies; UNIT, A69, DUA, Land05, and ONplan.

The winning proposal – called Nové Centrum Hostivař (New Center Hostivař ) – includes a green town hall courtyard, a town square, and improvements to public transport in Hostivař, which, among other things, is known as the terminus of several tram lines and its transport deport. The winning proposal also focuses on improving tram transfers. The current Hostivař transportation hub will also be redesigned to take up less space and make room for new buildings, according to the Prague 15 district.

Prague 15 says that the development’s goal is to connect all types of transportation in the unused area near the tram loop, while adhering to innovative and sustainable principles and prioritizing the protection of nature.

The development sets out to make the region greener while also adding amenities. "The area under consideration is a paradoxical place. It is perfectly served by various modes of transport yet is with broken local connections. It is the geographic center of Prague 15, but without the attributes of a town center,” said representatives of the project in a new press release.

“For the area’s successful transformation, it is necessary to correctly combine two seemingly contradictory goals: to restore the landscape and to create an intensive urban center. The combination of both elements brings a unique quality to the place – a lively square and quiet green town,” said developers.

New homes will be “near the railway station, and at the same time have views of the park,” the press release writes. The project will be “an intensely urban place, yet considerate of its users.”

In addition to being a transportation hub, Prague 15 is also home to several hundred students from Charles University, who currently reside in the area's dormitories, and a sports center. The new proposal includes plans to create a new UK Point for student services, which currently operates only in Prague 1. The population of Prague 15 is around 37,000 people.

Prague 15 has not set a concrete date for project completion or specified its duration.