Henning Larsen has won a competition to redesign Prague Central Station with a spacious open-roof timber canopy in Prague, Czech Republic. 

The project, called Nový Hlavák, encourages low-emission mobility options and adaptive reuse in timber construction. 

Henning Larsen is working with global engineering, architecture and consultancy company Ramboll who has extensive exprience on mass timber engineering.

Nový hlavák reconnects the historic central station and terminal hall with Vrchlického Sady Park to become a welcoming gateway to Prague. The new project aims to redefine the city’s landscape and propell its vision to becoming a more sustainable, livable place.

Prague Central Station's Cultural Zone. Image © Vivid Vision 

Driven by the introduction of a new tram line and anticipated 200 per cent increase in the number of visitors, the new future mobility hub signifies a transformative milestone in Prague’s urban development. 

The goal of the project is to seamlessly connect three transit hubs into one unified and invite destination with optimized pedestrian flows. 

Henning Larsen's new scheme prioritizes low-emission transport and micro-mobility, making public transit and travel by foot and bike the most desirable mode of transport. Moreover, the station will be connect to the city’s planned bike network with easy bicycle access and parking, supporting Prague’s ambitions to lower the city’s carbon emissions.  

The renovated version of former station Nový Hlavák aims to be a dynamic space that welcomes and invites visitors to the city to take a pause in the station or the heritage of the surrounding park with its ancient trees.

Prague Central Station's Park View. Image © Bloomimages

While celebrate the architectural heritage of Prague’s central station and its historic surroundings, Nový Hlavák will preserve and transform the Hlavni Nadrazi station. 

Henning Larsen team will preserve the Hlavni Nadrazi terminal hall’s iconic design elements and reimagine and extend them to allow the increase in capacity. 

Striped paved flooring and iconic curved design elements will still remain as the terminal's signiture features, paying homage to Hlavni Nadrazi’s original playfulness and unique modernist architecture. Upon arrival at Nový Hlavák from the city center visitors are welcomed by the park and a bustling pavilion that acts as a gateway to the Fantova Building, creating a lively destination to pass through and explore. 

Prague Central Station's Active Zone. Image © Vivid Vision

A spacious, open-roof timber canopy will be central element in the design, unifying the surrounding park, central station, and communal transport center. 

To host a new tram stop and city transport plan, the glulam roof will be lifted 13.8 meters above the terminal floor replacing the existing steel girder and parking deck. 

The structure will be made of lightwight ETFE roof cladding and allow for improved views of the park, the Fantova Building and surrounding skyline, easing pedestrian flow and safety, and inviting people to enjoy the space.  

"Our vision for Nový hlavák extends beyond the traditional concept of a station. We aspire to create a space that embeds itself in the fabric of people's lives, leaving them with lasting memories," said Henning Larsen. 

"The journey through Nový hlavák is designed to evoke traditional station sentiments, a nostalgic and familiar experience that transforms the act of passing through the station into a truly fantastic moment."

Prague Central Station Aerial View. Image © Bloomimages

“Our commitment goes beyond creating a structure for transportation; it's about enhancing daily experiences. Nový hlavák is meticulously designed for super-efficient functionality, ensuring seamless mobility for everyone," said Jacob Kurek, Global Market Director, Henning Larsen. 

"The station aims to redefine the very idea of what a daily commute can be, making it not just a journey but an experience that adds value to people's lives," Kurek added.

"We are proud to be part of enhancing low-carbon public transport in Prague and creating a local environment with positive social outcomes," said Tom Singleton, Senior Chief Project Manager, Ramboll.

Additionally, the terminal hall will feature an improved layout implementing intuitive wayfinding for visitors with ample daylight and direct visual connections to all surrounding areas. Prioritizing climate comfort and the roofed station plaza, the team takes safety features as an integral part of the design, covering user well-being, traffic management, and crisis scenarios.  

Moroever, the team will revitalize the Vrchlického sady Park and divide it into cultural zones, such as activity zone and the central arrival plaza. This would also allow for creating areas for Christmas markets, a quick commute, or an afternoon picnic providing easy and direct access to the station. 

Landscape plan

"Preserving the historic identity of the park and reflecting it in the new design is key to its success, an abundance of native vegetation will be planted and existing historic trees preserved," Hennig Larsen explained. The landscape will incorporate stormwater management and mitigate the heat island effect.  

The team was awarded 1st place on 27th November in the draft design competition for Prague Central Station. 

The project bid was by devised by Henning Larsen and Ramboll, bringing together Henning Larsen’s world leading architectural design and Ramboll’s extensive experience  on complex international projects and mass timber engineering.

Ground floor plan

Level -2 floor plan

Level -1 floor plan

Section BB

Section BB detail

Section CC

Section DD

Main elevation

Handsketch

Additional roof illustrations

Hennig Larsen also revealed design for a bold new urban transformation in Bolzano, Italy. The firm is working on a new logistics center that will be "Europe’s largest timber logistics center" in Lelystad, the Netherlands. 

In addition, the firm unveiled revealed design for a new university building in Torshavn, Faroe Islands, which is set to be built as a new community campus, at the University of the Faroe Islands. 

Project facts

Project: Station

Location: Prague, Czechia

Site size: 103,000m2

Building size: 24,400m2

Client: The Capital City of Prague, Správa zeleznic, Prague Public Transport Company

Urban Design: Henning Larsen

Architect: Henning Larsen

Landscape Architect: Henning Larsen

Local Architect: A8000

Engineer: Ramboll

Top image in the article: Prague Central Station by Hennig Larsen. Image © KVANT-1.

All images © Bloomimages, Kvant-1, Vivid Vision.

All drawings © Hennig Larsen.

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