Masaryčka building by Zaha Hadid Architects
Prague, Czech Republic
Completed in 2023

The Masaryčka building in Prague is defined by circulation routes which will provide access to new civic spaces for the city. Accommodating the continued growth of the city’s corporate sector with office spaces designed to meet 21st century working patterns, the 28,000 sq. m Masaryčka office and retail development incorporates seven storeys within its eastern section and nine storeys at its western end. Integrating with the Czech modernisation of the historic Masaryk Railway Station that is creating a new public square partially over the railway tracks, Masaryčka’s design will enhance accessibility to the railway platforms below and provide new pedestrian routes between Florenc and Hybernská on either side of the station.

Located one kilometre east of the city centre’s Staroměstské Square, Masaryčka’s design establishes a dialogue with the architecture and urbanism of Prague’s Old Town – known as ‘the golden city of 100
spires’. External fins within Masaryčka’s façade contribute to solar shading in the summer and transform the project’s horizontal composition to the verticality of its western façade facing the spires of the Old Town.

Planting using local species of plants, shrubs and trees irrigated by Masaryčka’s rainwater collection system, including the transformation of Na Florenci into a tree-lined avenue, will provide cooling summer shade and natural air purification. Low-flow systems and grey-water recycling will further reduce the centre’s water consumption. Masaryčka’s construction and procurement has prioritised local suppliers and materials with a high recycled content to meet the 2025 targets for embodied & operational carbon established by the RIBA 2030 Climate Challenge.

more. www.zaha-hadid.com