Zaha Hadid Architects has shared updates and new visuals for the Masaryčka Building in Prague, Czech Republic. The studio said that construction continues with the structure of the retail levels on the ground and first floors now completed.

The studio revealed first plans in 2016 to design a new urban development adjacent to the city's Masaryk Railway Station. A set of new visuals show that the studio has refined the plans and gave a more detailed look to the complex with façade elements and overall composition. 

Zaha Hadid Architects also added that works have begun to construct the higher floors of cantilevered offices with terraced roof gardens. The building is planned to open in 2023.

Image © Studio Horak

Covering a total of 28,000 square meters, the building incorporates seven storeys within its eastern section and reaches nine storeys at its western end.

Circulation routes are the main elements that unify the building composition based on the site's existing conditions, giving access to new civic spaces within a major transport hub for the city.

The new scheme will be integrated with the Správa železnic (Czech Railways) reconstruction of the historic Masaryk Railway Station, which will create a new public park partially over the railway tracks. 

Image © Studio Horak

The Masaryčka’s design will provide a new pedestrian route between Na Florenci Street in the north and Hybernská Boulevard to the south, in addition to enhancing accessibility to the railway platforms below.

Located adjacent to the railway station on a derelict site that has stood abandoned for several decades, Masaryčka will replace the existing car park on Havlíčkova Boulevard with a new public square that includes entrances to the city’s metro network. 

"This new square will create a welcoming gateway to the city for suburban and domestic rail services as well as passengers using the planned airport rail link to Prague’s Vaclav Havel International Airport," said Zaha Hadid Architects. 

"Establishing a dialogue with the urbanism of Prague’s Old Town, known as ‘the city of 100 spires’, external fins within Masaryčka’s façade transform the project’s horizontal composition along Na Florenci Street to the verticality of its western end facing the spires of the Old Town."

Image © Studio Horak

Taking sustainable features to the core of design, the project is targeting LEED Platinum certification. The project incorporates roof gardens and a triple-insulated façade that ensures optimal natural light at all work stations and communal areas. 

The team will implement natural ventilation that will be supported by a high efficiency plant with waste heat recovery systems. By using photovoltaics, the panels will harvest renewable energy while smart management systems will continually monitor and adjust environmental controls to reduce energy consumption.

Image © Studio Horak

Natural air purification and cooling summer shade will be made through extensive planting of shrubs and trees irrigated by rainwater collection. This will also include the transformation of Na Florenci Street into a tree-lined avenue.

Low-flow systems and grey-water recycling will further reduce the centre’s water consumption.

Image © ZHA

ZHA emphasized that "Masaryčka’s construction and procurement prioritises local suppliers and materials with a high recycled content to meet the 2025 targets for embodied & operational carbon established by the RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge."

Image © ZHA

Project facts

Architect: Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA)
Design: Zaha Hadid, Patrik Schumacher

Competition
Directing Associate: DaeWha Kang
Project Architect: Jakub Klaska
Project Team: Michal Wojtkiewicz, Malgorzata Kowalczyk, Fernanda Mugnaini, Matthew Carapiet, Bogdan Zaha, Chenxi Gong, Maya Boustany, Jan Klaska, Brian Dale

Concept Refinement - Schematic Design
Project Director: Jim Heverin
Directing Associate: Craig Kiner
Project Architects: Jakub Klaska, Sara Sheik Akbari
Project Team: Javier Rueda, Jan Klaska, Saman Dadgostar, Yifan Zhang, Moa Carlson, Juan Montiel, Carlos Parrada-Botero, Monika Bilska, Harry Spraiter, Ovidiu Mihutescu, Niran Buyukkoz, Nan Jiang, Horatiu Valcu

Detailed Design
Project Director: Jim Heverin
Project Architects: Jakub Klaska, Victor Orive
Project Team: Harry Spraiter, Javier Rueda, Aiste Dzikaraite, Sven Torres, Muriel Boselli, Maria Touloupou, Thomas Bagnoli

Construction Design
Project Director: Jim Heverin
Project Architect: Jakub Klaska
Project Team: Harry Spraiter, Aleksandra Mnich-Spraiter, Devansh Daisaria

Top image © Studio Horak

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