A new cableway between Prague 6 and 8 is to provide a unique transport connection in Prague. The architectural competition for the design of the three stations and five supports on the Podbaba, Troja, and Bohnice routes was won by the London studio William Matthews Associates.
According to a spokeswoman for the Transport Company of the capital city of Prague, the construction is expected to be completed by the architects. Aneta Řehková, the Prague Transport Authority’s spokesperson, said the building will take place in 2024 and 2025.
The international open architectural competition was announced in May this year by the Prague City Transport Company. The CCEA MOBA studio organized the competition.
The jury selected five teams from nine European countries to develop architectural designs for all three stations and five supports, taking into account the location of the future cableway and its surroundings or natural relief.
The competition jury praised the winning design for its integrity, contextual approach, and consideration of the surrounding conditions, both natural and urban.
“In just a few years, we will be able to ride this elegant means of transport, which will be accessible at three stations. Both terminals will allow a comfortable transfer to the connecting transport links. In the case of the Troja intermediate station, it will be a construction located in a beautiful area near the Vltava River and the future new entrance to the Prague Zoo,” said Adam Scheinherr, Deputy Mayor of Prague for Transport and Chairman of the DPP Supervisory Board.
“The funicular connects the Prague districts of Dejvice, Troja, and Bohnice; it bridges the Vltava River and passes through one of Prague’s most important natural features—the Troja Basin. The design subtly enters this fascinating environment with compactly designed stations whose roofs continuously change and respond to the immediate surroundings, as well as the design of simple pylons that elegantly integrate all the necessary technical infrastructure within one form,” the authors explained their winning design.
The cable car is designed to carry up to 2,300 people per hour.
DPP spokeswoman Aneta Řehková told Novosti that the construction should not complicate transport in Prague. Preliminary cost estimates are just under CZK 2 billion. “But this is a rough estimate from a feasibility study without knowing the details of the technology and architecture of the buildings and towers. The amount will be refined,” she added.