About project
The area of 56 hectares from the Hlávkův Bridge to the tips of the Libeňské kosy is going to be transformed in the coming years. In cooperation with the Dutch studio DELVA, we participated in an international architectural competition for the revitalisation of Rohan and Libeň Island. Our concept is based on 3 pillars – Restore, Rewind, Reconnect.
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Client
Capital city of Prague
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Year
2023
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Location
Prague, Czech Republic
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Size
560 000 m²
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Authors
Perspektiv & DELVA
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Visualisations
Vivid Vision
The Rohan and Libeň Island, together with the Maniny Park, have all the potential to be approached in a new way. Our proposed ‘restore, rewild, reconnect’ strategy is a nature-based approach that aims to create a resilient floodplain landscape that also delivers high ecological benefits and a wealth of recreational opportunities and facilities. This differs from the current permitted design which is based on infrastructure and engineering considerations. Our park design and layout is an example of how to transform the riverfront from the downside towards the city’s greatest asset.
The park, the city and the river should be considered as one. Three of these key urban strategies have more of a connective role as they create a continuation of flood control measures, ecological corridors and urban spaces. The remaining three urban strategies focus more on transforming the park into a destination with an extensive permeable network, spaces for sport and play, and beautiful places that frame views of the historic city centre while referencing the rich history of Karlín.
Illustration
In this proposal, we are trying to take an integral approach where all these different structures are combined into one proposal. By rethinking the course of the channel, without negatively impacting the hydrological performance of the channel, the channel is transformed into a natural waterway that becomes the centre and main feature of the park, rather than an edge between the park and the dam.
Rohan and Libeň Island, including the design of the park, are conceived as a result of its topographical and hydrological basis. The main key point was to bring into the park a significant variation of recreational and natural spaces that gradually flow into each other. Maniny Park thus becomes a natural park where different types of recreation find a place and different types of planting occur, from wooded hills to open meadow riverbanks and wetlands.
Design principles
Enabled design works well at the “restore” level. The basic intention was to create an intervention that would increase resilience to flooding and hydrological fluctuations. Although the new park between the Vltava River and the new side channel brings a lot of opportunities to increase ecological and recreational qualities (rewild and reconnect). This infrastructural approach forms the basis of our design for Maniny Park, but two subtle design moves transform the whole project from a single-minded intervention to an integrated project that builds on three main qualities: restore, rewild and reconnect. The Rohan and Libeň islands create a new narrative of the river in the city.
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Project information
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Client
Capital city of Prague
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Year
2023
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Location
Prague, Czech Republic
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Size
560 000 m²
-
Visualisations
Vivid Vision
-
Authors
Perspektiv & DELVA