Studio Vojtík

ASSIGNMENT: NEW BRANÍK – THE VLTAVA GATEWAY

#VLTAVA #ICEHOUSES #MARINA #CULTURAL HUB #HOUSING #PARK
#RAILWAY STATION #NEW CENTER #P+R #NEIGHBORHOOD CONNECTIVITY
#URBANISM #BUILDING ENSEMBLE #LANDSCAPE-URBAN ASSIGNMENT

New Braník – The Vltava Gateway

“Between the river and the hillside, between train and tram,
between sport and recreation, between culture and housing,
beyond the highway barrier, between the old and the new.”

A fragmented genius loci of former industrial sites.
The faded glory of a once-prominent railway station, the historic gateway to the legendary Posázaví “Pacific” railway line.
The threshold to a riverside zone of recreation, sport, and culture.
A periphery cut off by the urban highway ring,
with a decaying tram terminus.
The last surviving islands—torches still glowing with the light of Braník.

Urbanism, building ensembles, urban–landscape projects—open and optional assignments.

Introduction

Join us in shaping the city, the urban landscape or a building ensembles , always with a strong emphasis on the design of public spaces. Public space may also be addressed as an independent assignment within comprehensive project.

As always, throughout the semester you will be supported by ongoing pocket lectures on urban design and by our team of specialists (green infrastructure, transportation, civic buildings, construction economics, and public space detailing).

Context

Today, the city’s “modern defensive wall” is the urban ring road. It is intersected by major urban radial roads, mostly following historic routes leading from all directions toward the center of Prague. These intersections form locations with significant potential. They often lie between the “compact” and “dispersed” urban structure, and through their transformation it is possible to create “contemporary city gates.”

These areas also have high potential within the urban transport system, as radial and ring routes converge here and major transfer hubs are located in these places. They are capable of forming important sub-centers of Prague.

Site

Braník is a significant urban district located in the southern part of Prague’s wider city center, on the right bank of the Vltava River. Adjacent districts include Podolí, Krč, and Hlubočepy. At the Barrandov Bridge, the city ring road (Jižní spojka) passes through the district, dividing Braník into two parts.

The northern part, closer to the city center, has largely preserved its character and atmosphere. It is a compact and functionally coherent area. The southern part, by contrast, is a fragmented territory that has become essentially a remnant following the construction of transport infrastructure. It extends between the Vltava River to the west and a wooded slope to the east. The area contains a railway station, several surviving residential buildings remaining after demolition, and a number of valuable industrial complexes, including the brewery, icehouses, and the waterworks.

The construction of the Modřanská radial road and the parallel tram line has created a north–south barrier that divides the area into two distinct worlds. One follows the western riverbank of the Vltava, where the listed Icehouses, sports facilities, and a recreational riverside park leading toward Modřany are located. The other world is centered around the Braník railway station, featuring an extensive and rare brewery complex, several remaining residential buildings, and a P+R parking facility located on the site of a deteriorating tram turning loop. The remaining areas are underused and functionally inactive.

Despite the visual impression of a dysfunctional territory, the area still contains several buildings with services and a distinct atmosphere, proudly carrying the torch of Braník’s urban life.

Vision and Assignments

The aim of the assignment is to design a new, sustainable urban district that overcomes transport barriers within the area, reconnects the settlement edges of surrounding neighborhoods, and creates a new local center with a railway transfer terminal. To stitch the city back together and heal the scar. To harness existing potential, transform the periphery into a vibrant neighborhood, and define a new gateway to the city.

The approach may be conceptual or realistic, visionary or grounded.

For building ensembles, two exceptionally attractive sites are prepared: the Braník Icehouses, a listed cultural monument with the potential to become a cultural hub with an urban marina; and an urban block near the historic center of Braník intended for a much-needed assisted living facility, a kindergarten, and urban housing.

Urban and landscape-oriented projects will focus on the design of a new district with a strong emphasis on a riverside park along the Vltava River.

These assignments are arranged individually with students, with a focus on urban planning and public spaces. Please refer to the conditions for student admission to the studio.

More information, questions and applications: Šimon Vojtík, vojtisim@fa.cvut.cz, 603 955 244

These assignments are arranged individually with students, with a focus on urban planning and public spaces. Please refer to the conditions for student admission to the studio.

More information, questions and applications: Šimon Vojtík, vojtisim@fa.cvut.cz, 603 955 244