Prague’s "Sherwood" park to undergo extensive renovation with new pavilions

The park in front of Prague’s main train station, Praha hlavní nádraží, will be transformed to make it more inviting.

The Railway Administration (SŽ) is preparing an extensive renovation of the station’s new terminal hall, built in the 1970s. It has long had a problem with leaks. The renovation is estimated to cost hundreds of millions of crowns.

A conceptual study of the EHL-Koumar Architects studio sees the roof of the terminal hall being transformed from a parking lot into an area with benches and trees, and grassy slopes with paths leading up to it.

The design of the project should finalized in May 2021, and construction could begin at the end of 2022. Before the transformation can take place, the SŽ has to take over control of the parking lot form the city-run Technical Roadway Administration (TSK).

“Sherwood will turn into a friendly place in front of Hlavní nádraží. How do you like the planned change?” Prague Mayor Zdeněk Hřib (Pirates) asked on Facebook.

“Arriving in Prague at the train station will finally not be a disgrace. The space will get a completely new look. The ugly parking lot on the roof of the check-in hall will be replaced with a park and facilities for passengers, including, for example, cafes and refreshments,” he added.

“In front of the hall, Vrchlického sady, notoriously known as Sherwood, will be improved. And as a bonus, we are planning a new tram line here, which will connect the station with the center. As in many modern cities, you will be able to change from train to tram and continue your journey. Revitalization should begin in 2022,” he said.

Response on Facebook was positive. Withing hours of the mayor posting his question, over 1,000 people used an emoji to indicate they approved, while just over 50 people disapproved. Some people did question whether the parking lot would be replaced, and other details.

The new terminal building was built in 1972–79 to create another entrance to the station, as Wilsonova Street, part of the then-new north-south highway, cut the station off from the park. Wilsonova Street runs across the roof of the new entry hall.