Press released

Prague, February 23, 2011 – The area of the former Freight Station Žižkov in Prague 3, with its size over 33 ha, is one of the largest potential development areas in Prague. In December 2010, the Ministry of Culture declared the central part of the area, i.e. the former freight station, together with the reception building and fences, the cultural monument. The owner of the site, the company České dráhy, a.s. (Czech Railways), represented by the developer, the company Žižkov Station Development, a.s., appealed against this statement. Also the City District Prague 3 disagreed. In this case, the conservation efforts are fundamentally clashing with the plans for further use and revitalization of the area, and disable the planned development of the new traffic infrastructure important for the whole capital.

In response to the call of České dráhy, the appeal committee of the Ministry of Culture will soon decide whether the conservation statement will be cancelled. The protected area includes the large three-wing functionalist building of the freight station built in 1930s, the fence adjacent to the Jana Želivského Street, and the reception building.

In their analysis, České dráhy and Žižkov Station Development state that the conservation directly contradicts the urban development possibilities, as well as new use and revitalization of the area. It also directly clashes with the city traffic infrastructure, including the extension of Olšanská Street to the Prague Ring Road by the Jarov Junction.

The balance between conservation and the needs of development of the society must be considered carefully. The value of historic monument cannot be estimated separately, with excessive formalism, as the true purpose of monuments is to help improve the quality of life. However, it’s impossible to revitalize the area so it may become part of a live city environment once the complex of buildings, difficult to use, is preserved.

České dráhy and Žižkov Station Development also state that pursuant to the valid legislation, the declaration of a cultural monument must also define the necessary ground for the reasonable future use of the facility in question. The term “cultural monument” must not be interpreted on the single-track basis, and the future restoration and usability of the buildings must be considered. Without this, the declaration only dooms the building to a long deterioration as a cheap warehouse facility, preserving the current conditions.

There are three main reasons against the conservation of the freight railway station: the enormous size of the facilities, the structure unsuitable for reconstruction for different purposes, and the location clashing with the planned traffic infrastructure. The Jarov Junction also features the extension of the tram line and the corridor for the extension of the underground line D.

The constructivist giant

In addition to the office wing, the complex of the freight station facilities includes two storage side wings, with the length of several hundred meters. The robust structure is very simple, there is neither thermal insulation nor technological devices that would ensure the continuous quality of the inner environment.

Based on the statement by PhDr. Vojta and BcA. Václav Dvořák, the key value of the area, in accordance with the very nature of the functionalist architecture, was the functionality and high organizational integrity of the complex. With the discontinued functionality, the facility became a mere material relic with no real context. The charter of the industrial heritage, the Moscow Charter, passed by the International Committee for the Restoration of the Industrial Heritage, literally states the following: “5.(i) The preservation of the industrial heritage depends on maintaining the functional integrity … the value and authenticity of a industrial location can decrease significantly if machinery or its part is removed, or if others parts of a complex are destroyed.” In case of the Freight Station Žižkov, most of technological devices are gone forever, and the area hasn’t been functional for years.

That’s why even the Conservation Department of the Prague City Hall stated that the area can’t be used without redevelopment, and didn’t recommend declaring the monument.

What’s more, in the context of similar European industrial buildings made in that era, the building of the freight station isn’t really exceptional. Even Prague has buildings like that. Professor Vladimír Šlapeta points out in his assessment that there is a global trend of big cities using former railway stations for further development. The whole Žižkov complex was solely built for the office, storage and reloading operations. Given it was a freight station, the complex doesn’t include large public areas that could be used for museum or gallery purposes, such as the d’Orsay Station in Paris. To compare a passenger railway station with large halls to the industrial facility with rigid bearing system doesn’t really fit. Moreover, Professor Šlapeta’s assessment says that the architecture of the building isn’t really outstanding in the European scope. For example, the storages Van Nelle in Rotterdam or Zollverein in Essen are of much bigger value. The author notes dozens of buildings in the Czech Republic that were built in the same era, have similar style and original function, and are more interesting in terms of architecture.

“In terms of attainable town-building strategy of a large and attractive area, presenting a big challenge for architects, city government, investors and Prague inhabitants, the preservation of the whole area is impossible; it would put large obstacles to the general spatial scheme of new buildings. The arguable historic value, without the original function, would be no match for it,” says Professor Šlapeta.

The reconstruction of the freight station is impossible

Reasonable, and therefore attainable conversion of industrial buildings in an area with new functionality, always depends on other factors as well.

The new buildings should be given the purpose that would be in accordance, at least for a large part, with the original architectural description and used materials. In other words, the value of this monument is largely linked to its function, and any attempts at reconstruction would fundamentally affect the design, structure, technology and organization of the complex, should it suit current functionality and provide the necessary quality of the internal environment (new technological facilities, new vertical passes, elevators, thermal insulation of the facades etc.).

In addition, the future use of the building should be in accordance with the town-planning intentions for the location in question. However, in this case, the existence of the facility disables these intentions. It complicates not only the building of a new residential neighborhood but also the development of the superior traffic infrastructure, including the extension of the tram line and underground line D.

Furthermore, the economic demands of the conversion should respect the essential principles on profitability and return on investment. As the total size of the area is almost double the size of the biggest office building in the Czech Republic, it’s been so far unclear what function should the revitalized area fulfill, even regardless of the economy of the operations that should follow. We may therefore estimate that the facility, if protected by conservation, will continue to be used as storage area, and most of the building will not be used at all.

“The renewal possibility is the necessary condition of the revitalization of the area, so it can be used again and become once more the integral part of the live urban environment. The original use is out of question, given current trends in supplying shops, production plants and residents. The enforced conservation at the expenses of active development of the urban environment will lead to the ongoing deterioration of the area, and then to its demise,” says the analysis of České dráhy and Žižkov Station Development.

Another assessment made by Dr. Jan Vojta includes a similar statement: “To preserve the area to the extent of the original intention is currently an extraordinarily difficult task.” Also Dr. Vojta believes that the possibilities to use the facilities are very limited. Both storage wings are single-purpose, yet giant facilities, unable to preserve in the most authentic way including technological devices. He considers such idea highly irrational, and concludes that the development of the location directly contradicts the conservation of the freight station.

Haltering the future boulevard as well as revitalization

The building of the freight station doesn’t integrally fit to the town-planning complex of the neighborhood, as it breaks the Olšanská Avenue and halters its extension, and connection of the Jarov Junction to the Prague Ring Road. That’s why even the City District Praha 3 objects to the conservation. Also the enormous length of the complex halters the lateral connection and penetrability of the area.

Summarizing all the facts, we may conclude that the conservation of the freight station facilities disables the realization of the revitalization plans. Therefore it’s possible that the area will continue to decay and lie unexploited. Yet according to the plans of Sekyra Group and Žižkov Station Development, the new neighborhood Žižkov City should provide the top-quality environment to approximately 15,000 people. Apart from residential houses, the area should include offices, commercial centers and various services on the ground floor.

The near future will see whether all these plans to turn the Žižkov Freight Station into a modern residential neighborhood can be realized.