The city of Prague has unveiled its selection a new design of the transport shelters and railings. The designers of the winning design are Michal Froněk, Jan Němeček, Aleš Kachlík and Martin Klanica. The results of the negotiated procedure with publication announced by the Prague Institute of Planning and Development (IPR Prague) have been approved by Prague City Hall in mid-November. The first test prototypes will be installed in October 2019.
"We want a modern metropolis. Ordinary, but very visible items such as waste bins, benches and transport shelters are an integral part of a modern metropolis," commented Jan Chabr, City Councilor for Asset Management. "Prague has historically spent a disproportionate amount of money on maintaining such items, and the winning design of the transit stop was also able to take this into account. I am pleased that these things are now really being handled professionally."
The task of the negotiation was to design a shelter that is functional, high quality and attractive, with a universal and timeless design. The jury also considered the ease of maintenance and susceptibility to vandalism.
"We have selected an excellent design that will faithfully serve Prague for several decades to come," said Ondřej Boháč, Director of IPR Prague. "The authors, whose design was also selected for the set of benches, trash cans and bike stands, showed it is possible to combine function and elegance."
The jury praised the winning design for its clean lines, variability, user comfort, and the simplicity of its serial production and general maintenance. The new shelters will not only be an esthetic improvement but will also significantly reduce operating and maintenance costs. The winning shelter is made of a dark grey powdered cast aluminum and apart from a single side intended for advertising all other walls are transparent. Inside the shelter is an information panel with the date and times of departures, weather forecast and the name of the stop.
An interesting element of the winning design is the walk-through rear wall of the shelter. According to the designers this will facilitate access and movement within and around the shelter. This particular type with open rear wall is only one of a series of shelter variants that the authors proposed.
