The Dvorecký Bridge will span the Vltava River between the Zlíchov and Podolí embankments, connecting the Prague 4 and Prague 5 districts. The aim of the construction is to improve connections between the city on both banks of the Vltava River in the southern part of Prague, especially for public transport, pedestrians, and cyclists. Under normal conditions, individual car traffic is not expected here. The winning design, which emerged from an architectural and engineering competition held between 2017 and 2018, was created by architects from the ATELIER 6 and TUBES studios. They even beat Santiago Calatrava, who finished in second place. The design makes use of the space under the bridge arches, where a café and an arena for cultural activities will be created, supported by street lighting installations by artist Krištof Kintera. Construction of the bridge is scheduled to begin in 2022. You will be able to walk across it for the first time in 2025.
A gift for Prague’s public transport
The Dvorecký Bridge will be of great importance for tram transport. It will become the nucleus of the so-called southern tram tangent, connecting important tram lines leading from Barrandov and Modřany. The City of Prague has been considering the need for a bridge in this location since 2003, meaning that three successive city administrations have included the project in their plans. Initially, individual car traffic was also to be allowed on the bridge. However, the 2014 zoning plan specified that only tram, bus, pedestrian, and bicycle traffic would be allowed, with two bike lanes reserved for the latter. The parameters of the streets on the right bank of the Vltava River do not allow for higher traffic intensity. Only vehicles of the integrated rescue system will be permitted to pass, if necessary. However, the greatest benefit is the reduction of pressure on public transport, which is currently affected by the overloaded Barrandov Bridge, which has been undergoing gradual reconstruction since 2020. Another significant improvement will be the connection of the bike paths that run along both banks (A1, A2). This will replace the problematic connection across the Barrandov Bridge (A12).
The area around the bridge will be pleasant thanks to a new relaxation zone.
Source: ATELIER 6Helping the Barrandov Bridge
The eastern end of the bridge will be located near Žluté lázně, north of Jeremenkova Street. The western end will run near the Lihovar tram stop. The project includes a proposal for a new tram and bus stop called Dvorecký most. During the tram service suspension in 2020, the transit authority established a detour in Barrandov leading to Dvorecký most. The Lihovar stop was redesigned during the reconstruction of Nádražní Street. All existing modifications account for a connection to Dvorecký Bridge. Synchronization with the aforementioned reconstruction of Barrandov Bridge should also work well. This reconstruction is divided into five phases in such a way that the planned bus routes can be smoothly transferred to the newly constructed bridge.
The design for the Dvorecký Bridge emerged from a two-phase open architectural and engineering design competition announced by the City of Prague in November 2017. A total of 45 proposals were submitted. The jury selected the winner after less than a year. The winner was ATELIER 6 in collaboration with the engineering firm TUBES. They even outperformed architectural giants such as Santiago Calatrava, who finished in second place.
The winning design draws on the tradition of Prague’s arched bridges and Cubism. It has no superstructure above the deck, allowing it to blend seamlessly into the Vltava Valley. In developing the design, the architects were inspired by František Mencl, who served as a building councilor, city engineer, and, above all, a bridge designer for the City of Prague in the first half of the 20th century. Mencl, who was always keenly aware of how important it is for the historic city center that a bridge blend well with the surrounding buildings and urban landscape and not disrupt the valuable panorama with its appearance, also designed the Libeň Bridge, which we wrote about recently. In his view, bridges should respect the form of older ones—their predecessors or models. He preferred arched bridges, which, through their construction, created a unified whole, yet one that was diverse in its artistic expression.
“We wanted to build on the concept of all Prague bridges and utilize the traditional principle of the arch bridge with contemporary technical capabilities. The city’s skyline was the determining factor for us.”
Radek Šíma, architect, ATELIER 6
The bridge is shaped as a white gateway to the city. Structurally, it is a six-span beam bridge with a box-girder cross-section made of prestressed reinforced concrete, with a supporting structure length of 331.6 meters. The elevation of the bridge structure meets the requirement of being one meter above the 2002 flood level. Two piers stand in the water, the others on land. It is only 17 meters wide. At first glance, it is beautifully deceptive. When viewed from the river, the structure appears very slender, even delicate; from the side on land, however, it gives a more substantial impression. This dual perspective is created precisely by the two piers, which span the entire width of the bridge deck. The bridge is thus a strange but appealing hybrid of two esteemed architectural styles—Cubism or Neo-Cubism and Brutalism.
The side view highlights its Brutalist massiveness.
Source: ATELIER 6Tram tracks will run down the center of the bridge, also serving as the roadway for buses. The pedestrian area will be raised by 20 centimeters. Pedestrians will walk along the railing, with a bike path running alongside them toward the center of the bridge deck. The architects have incorporated a rhythm of public lighting integrated with the tram lines. Another interesting feature is the landscaping of the surrounding area. In collaboration with leading Czech landscape architect Zdeněk Sendler, they plan to redesign the greenery on both sides of the bridge. Near the Lihovar stop, an information center of the Prague Integrated Transport system and public restrooms will be built into the slope behind the bridge abutment. It should be complemented by outdoor seating and a bicycle parking area.
The area around the bridge will also feature a small facility and outdoor seating.
Source: ATELIER 6The embankment as a leisure highway
The latest development in the preparatory work is the involvement of visual artist Krištof Kintera, who is transforming the space under the bridge into a work of art. The result should be a sort of multifunctional Cubist landscape and an imaginary botanical garden of street lighting. The Podolí side will offer a venue for hosting a wide variety of cultural events, children’s programs, author readings, theater performances, and the like. The project also includes a café with refreshments, a picnic area, and an original sculpture by Krištof Kintera. Access to the water for swimmers is seamless—new steps will be installed where people can sit comfortably. The bridge will serve as a natural roof—like a ceiling from which a chandelier can easily be hung.
The space under the bridge will be transformed into a venue for cultural events and leisure activities.
Source: Krištof KinteraThe Zlíchov embankment will be adorned with a unique museum of streetlights from around the world. The lights will be electronically controlled. LED sources will be used, but they will mimic the color tones of the original old sodium lighting. They will turn on at different times, so this is not an energy-intensive installation. A total of half a million cyclists and half a million pedestrians passed through the Podolí embankment in 2020. Kintera therefore aptly describes this busy location as a “leisure highway”.
A botanical garden of public lighting. That is how Krištof Kintera describes his lighting installation, which he is preparing for the Dvorecký Bridge.
Source: Krištof Kintera“From the start, I found the bridge’s design very elegant. I didn’t want to spoil it with any large-scale sculptures that would compete with the bridge. When a bridge is built, little thought is given to what will be beneath it. These abandoned spaces then become problematic and complicated. That is exactly what we wanted to tackle. We are not creating a collection of sculptures, but rather defining the environment in such a way that it becomes a platform for a wide variety of cultural activities and leisure pursuits.”
Krištof Kintera, artist
The project is currently in the public consultation phase and the application for a joint building and zoning permit is being submitted. Construction is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2022. It will cost approximately 1 billion crowns. The estimated cost includes both approach bridges and other supplementary technical and transportation structures.
The most recent bridges in Prague are the Troja Bridge (2014), which replaced the legendary tram bridge known as “Rámusák” from 1981, and the Troja Footbridge (2020), which was built between the Prague district of Troja and Císařský Island to connect popular recreational destinations for Prague residents—Stromovka, Troja Castle, and the zoological and botanical gardens in Troja. The Dvorecký Bridge is expected to be completed as early as 2025.
Watch the recording of the lecture on the planned bridge from CAMP:
