When people hear “Dvořák Embankment,” they either don’t think of anything at all, or they think of boats, the riverfront, or through traffic. Yet the Na Františku section of the embankment is a place where some of Prague’s oldest preserved architectural landmarks meet the Vltava River.

The goal of this conceptual study is to restore this section of the Vltava riverbank to a place that we choose not only as a pleasant and safe route to work, but also as an attractive spot for spending our free time and discovering the secrets of the many layers of this area’s rich history. The study itself focuses solely on the upper level of the embankment, thereby aligning with Prague’s plan to renovate the technical infrastructure of the lower level (the riverbank) and the spaces within the embankment wall.

The impetus for commissioning this conceptual study comes from several key investments in the area—either already implemented or planned for the coming years—by the managers and owners of land or buildings along the waterfront. A distinctive feature of the area under consideration is the relatively small number of relatively large institutions and companies that own or manage the buildings and land on the upper level.

These entities also became partners in jointly formulating a vision for the waterfront, a process that took place in several phases—first through individual structured interviews with each owner or manager, and subsequently through a joint roundtable meeting of all parties. The insights gained from this process served as the foundation for the proposed plan.

The conceptual study can thus serve as a common basis for the subsequent project documentation of individual proposals, binding for municipal organizations, and will aid in coordinating ongoing and future investments in the further development of the waterfront and the immediately adjacent public spaces. The study represents the best possible synthesis of often conflicting individual interests.

The Na Františku Embankment forms the setting for buildings whose construction spans three-quarters of a millennium and which have earned Prague a number of world- and Europe-firsts in the realm of civilization. The study proposes a redesign of the environment that will allow all contemporary users to appreciate this fact, beyond merely satisfying their everyday needs.