The Prague Institute of Planning and Development (IPR) has selected the team that will give Mariánské náměstí a new look. The designers will be Studio Xtopix in Prague.
The temporary design will redirect traffic and transform nearly the entire square into a park. It will remain this way until the beginning of next year when the study is expected to be completed.
“As well as City Hall, Mariánské náměstí is home to several important Prague institutions such as the Municipal and National libraries, but at present is rather poorly arranged and functions more as a parking lot than a square. I am pleased that the transformation will be handled by a multi-disciplinary team of architects, transportation engineers, water management specialists and landscape architects,” said First Deputy Mayor of Prague Petr Hlaváček.
Until reconstruction commences, the square will temporarily be a pedestrian zone furnished with Prague City tables and chairs, art installations and other attractions.
The winning studio will also be accepting input from residents about the new appearance of the square. From September 21st to October 1st, the IPR will place an information box at the square to collect suggestions and ideas on how the square should be transformed in the future.
Mariánské náměstí was originally a settlement called Na Louži, with a Church of the Virgin Mary and courtyard from the mid-twelfth century located here. Despite the many changes in the surroundings, the square continues to be named after the church to this day. The Na Louži settlement was on a busy road leading from the Old Town Square market to the Vltava River. A major change occurred when the most dominant building in the area, the new Town Hall, was built in 1908 to 1911. Prague plans to complete reconstruction of the square within five years.
