With the Žižkov freight yard on one side and Židovské pece Park on the other, Vackov is a unique area within the broader context of Prague. We’re talking about a neglected inner-city periphery, which we’re transforming in several phases into a comprehensive residential neighborhood rich in public space. The northern side of Vackov is bordered by Židovské pece Park, the southern side by Malešická Street, and beyond that lies the brownfield site of the Žižkov freight yard. To the east, we connect to the existing neighborhood of villas and apartment buildings.

Within this context, we have designed a new architectural and urban structure that divides Vackov into diverse neighborhoods and creates a transition between local scales and development densities. The master plan guiding the development of the new Vackov defines the structure of public space and the character of individual locations. Zones B and D in the northeastern part connect to the original villa district to the east.

Zone B consists of eleven buildings arranged around open courtyards. Across Olgy Havlové Street—the backbone of the area—lies Zone D II, also comprising eleven apartment buildings; these form semi-enclosed courtyards on a smaller scale based on the “low-rise, high-density” principle. The public spaces in this group are characterized by mature greenery and geometrically organized recreational areas. Zone D1 consists of three five-story townhouses. Their rounded shapes blend in with the surrounding development. The townhouses were built with the aim of creating a peaceful oasis away from the hustle and bustle of the streets.

Zone A is currently under construction: it connects to the Žižkov train station, where a new residential neighborhood will be developed in the future, enriched with long-awaited community amenities. Zone A consists of three residential complexes and a square, the imaginary center of Vackov: essential community amenities and a vibrant public space will also be present in Vackov—thereby granting Vackov independence from the previously uncertain development of the freight station. Zone A1—the westernmost part of Vackov—consists of five residential buildings with community amenities on the ground floor, built on a shared underground parking platform connected to Olgy Havlové Street. The buildings in Zone A1 do not form a uniform street frontage but step back from the street line in a characteristic (a)symmetry. Most apartments feature spacious balconies or loggias, while the ground-floor apartments open onto terraces and small gardens, whose edges articulate the street line in an unconventional manner.