Prague's largest-ever development takes shape in Smíchov — homes for 12,000 residents and a new ČEZ headquarters

In Prague's Smíchov district, construction is in full swing on the most ambitious project in the Czech capital's modern history — a mixed-use quarter rising on what was once an abandoned industrial wasteland. According to the Prague Institute of Planning and Development, this is the largest construction project the city has seen in the modern era.

According to developer Sekyra Group, the new district will bring together housing, offices, shops and services, along with a municipal primary school and parks. Spanning nearly 400,000 square metres, the site is designed to accommodate roughly 12,000 people who will live and work there.

From blueprint to first residents

Planning for the project began back in 2003, with the first earthworks starting in the pandemic year of 2020. In the years since, the initial phase near the Na Knížecí tram stop has already been completed, delivering more than 400 flats ranging from compact studios to spacious 160-square-metre apartments. Some units are already occupied, and their residents now watch from their windows as construction pushes forward around them.

Towers for ČEZ and Česká spořitelna

In the southern part of the quarter, the frames of future office buildings are rising skyward. The tallest — the future campus of Česká spořitelna — will reach Prague's height ceiling of 40 metres. Another building will be occupied by energy giant ČEZ, which will relocate its headquarters here, with views over Prague Castle, Vyšehrad and Dívčí hrady.

Construction of these buildings is set to wrap up as early as next year. Workers are currently installing windows and cladding the façades — one building will be finished in beige limestone, the other in green granite. Entrance lobbies, internal atriums and connecting galleries linking the buildings are also being built.

A transport hub and residential zone

The southern tip of the district will also feature a hotel and a food market, while a new pedestrian bridge will link the reconstructed railway station to the rest of the quarter across the tracks. "Our goal is to draw in even those people who are simply passing through the transport hub, because in the future this will become the busiest spot in Prague in terms of foot traffic," said Leoš Anderle, the development company's executive director.

According to Anderle, the northern part of the district, closer to the Anděl metro station, will be predominantly residential, with around 1,600 flats planned for approximately 3,500 residents. Building work has already begun on the block known as SM8, where several tower cranes have been assembled — and more may follow, as the project has taken on so many workers that the equipment is struggling to keep pace with the construction speed. The sports centre on Radlická street, located opposite, is currently expected to remain in place.

The investor is aiming to create the feel of a diverse, lively city — which is why the buildings within the quarter will differ from one another not only in function but in appearance as well.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz