The outdated checkpoints at the entrances to Prague Castle are being replaced with a new, architecturally sophisticated concept. A competition has now produced the best ideas – and a winner has been selected.
Prague Castle is getting new entrance checkpoints. The architectural competition, launched by the Castle Administration at the end of last year, has concluded. Studio Atelier HRA prevailed over 28 submitted concepts. According to the jury, the winning design impressed with its functional, flexible construction, high-quality materials and unobtrusive form that blends sensitively into the historic surroundings.
The first prototype is set to be tested as early as next year. After that, all entrances to Prague Castle will gradually be equipped with the new checkpoints.
The existing shelters, installed in 2016 at short notice, are now regarded as technically and aesthetically obsolete. “They look undignified, the material is disintegrating, and their functionality leaves much to be desired,” says Pavel Vyhnánek, Director of the Castle Administration. The new concept is far more discreet, while still meeting all technical requirements.
The award-winning design features a filigree, mobile structure that can be expanded or reduced in size using a modular approach. The shelters provide protection from sun and rain, can be relocated, and do not resemble temporary event equipment. “It was important to us not to add to the architectural history of the castle, but to respond to it with a restrained, temporary object,” explains Vít Šimek of Studio HRA.
Praise also came from jury chair Markéta Zdebská: the design “sensitively adapts to the scenographic effect of Prague Castle,” appears “playful but not intrusive” and, thanks to its clear hierarchy of additional modules and unobtrusive technical execution, is an “unmistakable contribution.”
In parallel with the competition, the redesign of the castle entrances was already underway. In the spring, initial construction began on the ramp of the Powder Tower Bridge, where retractable bollards are currently being installed to replace the conspicuous yellow metal barriers. From August onwards, work will shift to Na Opyši Street, followed by the installation of the new checkpoints.
