New public space to be built at Hradčanská

The run down area in Dejvice in Prague 6 is being transformed. Next year it will have a permanent market with cafes and bars. There are currently three proposals for the area.

The area at the intersection of Dejvická, Bubenečská and Pod Kaštany streets sees significant foot traffic from the nearby Hradčanská metro station. Currently, though, it is mostly a grassy area used for parking.

Prague 6 Town Hall wants to better use the area and make it available public events, farmers markets and recreation. The Town Hall polled local residents earlier this year about what should be done with the space and had some 2,000 responses.

The area should be paved by the end of the year and have street furniture. The grass and dirt paths will disappear, and the public space will be extended to the Dejvice train station (Praha-Dejvice nádraží), which currently is used as a parking lot. Some of the station area is owned by the Railway Administration (SŽDC), but is rented by Prague 6 for Kč 200 per meter per year. Additional land is owned by the city.

The second stage of the development would create a permanent market during the course of 2017. The Town Hall plans to publish the three proposals on its website. One of the proposals is by Majo architekti, and it is based on local architectural motifs so the market would fit into the area.

That proposal takes design elements from apartment buildings and even Belvedere, the royal summer palace located nearby. The individual buildings could also be illuminated at night. One building could have a rooftop bar, according to media reports.

The financing of the project has already been established. Paving the grassy area and installing the street furniture will come from the Prague 6 budget. The remaining costs will be covered by private companies.

This isn't the only improvement for Prague 6. A wooden-covered area called Šesťák opened at Vítězné náměstí on May 11. It has a street library, hammocks, tables and chairs, and games. There are also free concerts and other performances. The name Šesťák came from a public opinion poll and refers to the Czech word for six (šest). The place was formerly parking spots. Šesťák is operated by Ondřej Kobza, who was also behind pianos in the street, large public chess sets and automatic poetry machines.