Development of the 4th Quadrant of Victory Square in Prague (CZ)

From the beginning, it was essential for our design to respect the established tendencies of urban use and the position of Vítězné Square in the behavior of people, in the dynamics of the city and in the life of the district.

Our proposal for the second round returns to the individual themes of Antonín Engel’s design. The key for us is his vision for Technická Street, laid out as a university avenue terminating in a triumphant arch gateway to Vítězné Square, accentuated with a high-rise rectorate building to the north. We focus on the clear spatial definition of the university avenue and its relationship to Vítězné Square. We feel that each space in central Dejvice has a different function and place in the hierarchy of the system of public spaces. Vítězné Square, with its scale and use, constitutes the representative function of the center of Dejvice and the center of the entire Prague 6 district. The crossroads of Technická and Šolínova Streets, where we are placing the Piazzetta, functions as a more communal and social space.

In the design, we reinforce the different characters of the two squares. We reinforce the commercial character of Vítězné Square with a continuous commercial arcade connected to Dejvická metro station.

On the other hand, the Piazzetta is a platform for a pair of public institutions, the University of Chemistry and Technology and the Cultural Centre, which, through their program and openness, nourish the cultural and commercial axis of Dejvice and stabilize it at the interface between the university campus and the urban structure. We see this space as a platform for open communication, as a gateway to central Dejvice and, at the same time, a gateway to the academic campus. We believe in the synergy of both institutions, thanks to which the site can become an important focal point strengthening the role of the 4th quadrant as the cultural and social center of gravity of Dejvice, taking on a city-wide significance.