Rohan Island

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Rohan Island is to become a new district of Prague.

Flood protection measures Libeň Bridge Park Prague 8 Rohan City

On the right bank of the Vltava River in the neighborhood of Karlín and Libeň, several municipal projects are underway in addition to private investments. The most important one is the Maniny Park project. The new floodplain park should preserve the features of urban wilderness and at the same time, give rise to a new river channel. The park will thus act as flood protection for the city. The 56-hectare area of Rohan and Libeň Island is to undergo a gradual transformation, which will include the creation of a floodplain park on the river and the restoration of the now defunct island that remains part of the name of the area. IPR Prague prepared the initial assignment for the green area, for which the Rohan and Libeň Island Concept Plan will be created and which will set the long-term development of the area.

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More information

International Competitive Dialogue

Both the Concept Plan and the landscape design of the Maniny Park will be results of an international competitive dialogue procedure. The progressive format of the tender, which involves landscape architects, architects, water engineers, local stakeholders and city representatives in continuous lively discussions, is just open. In July 2022, a two-day committee meeting was held to select four teams from the entries to continue the competitive dialogue. These are international teams made up of studios from Belgium, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic. The shortlisted teams are DELVA + perspectives; LOLA+M2AU+CIE; New Park Maniny Consortium - DS + VenhoevenCS + MOBA + Aquatis and OMGEVING_FISER_VRV_SINDLAR. Thank you for your interest and congratulations to the qualifying teams!

For more information about the international competitive dialogue click here.

Qualifying teams

DELVA + perspektiv

The Amsterdam-based studio DELVA and the Prague-based studio Perspektiv teamed up for the competition project. DELVA consists of a 25-strong team of specialists working on sustainable urbanisation, nature development and the changing importance of public space. The team of Studio Perspektiv consists of 40 experts who base their designs on the needs of the community, respect for the territory and support for civic life. The studies on water management issues are complemented by the MV project office, which specializes in environmental and water management construction and reclamation.

LOLA+M2AU+CIE

The LOLA+M2AU+CIE team, based on previous collaboration on urban design projects, emphasizes the symbiosis of urban planning and the natural environment. Working with blue-green infrastructure, promoting biodiversity and creating an attractive environment for future users is a common theme, as well as involving all stakeholders in the design process itself.

New Park Maniny Consortium - DS + VenhoevenCS + MOBA + Aquatis

The New Park Maniny Consortium is an international interdisciplinary team that brings together landscape architects, architects, urban planners and specialists in water management, landscape engineering and participatory planning. DS landschapsarchitecten and VernhoevenCS are based in the Netherlands and their practice is pushing current trends in sustainable planning from regional concepts to public spaces. Their designs focus on an inclusive way for people and nature to coexist. On the other hand, MOBA studio and Aquatis represent their expertise with planning in the Czech environment. Both teams have been working on the project area and its surroundings for a long time. MOBA studio has experience in participatory planning within the framework of the revitalisation of the Negrelli Viaduct area. Aqautis, which designed the flood protection along the banks of the Vltava River after the 2002 floods and is currently working on flood parks and river revitalization.

OMGEVING_FISER_VRV_SINDLAR

An international team of landscape architects, urban planners and water engineers for the Rohan Island competitive dialogue. We have experience with projects of diverse scales and briefs: from cross-border spatial visions to landscape plans, parks and public spaces to urban furniture designs. Water, as a basic resource of life and a condition for the successful functioning of any city, is included in virtually every one of our projects. We intend to use our experience from projects for metropolitan areas in Western Europe as well as for Czech cities and offer their application on the banks of the Vltava River in the middle of Prague.

What should happen and why? What will change?

What is going to take place?

A new floodplain park with natural features will be created between the cycle route and the river – Park Maniny, which will strengthen the flood protection of the city by creating a new channel and lowering the ground level.
During the international competitive dialogue procedure, a detailed landscape design of Maniny Park and the Rohan and Libeň Island Concept Plan will be created – a development plan of the area for upcoming decades, which will ensure the connection of the city and people with the river, increase biodiversity, support local communities, expand the range of leisure activities, etc.
The reconstruction of the historic Libeň Bridge will be followed by the construction of an inundation bridge, which is another flood control measure in the area, in addition to new barrier-free access to Maniny Park.

About the project

Schedule

Commencement: 2020
Completion: 2023

How much will it cost?

n/a

Who will do the work?

Winning team of the competitive dialog procedure (known June 2023)

The role of IPR Prague

The organizer and creator of the competitive dialog procedure

Form

International competitive dialog procedure
Concept Plan
Landscape Design

If you have any queries: Dominika Antonie Pfister, pfister@ipr.praha.eu, communication coordinator

For the media: Marek Vácha, vacha@ipr.praha.eu, +420 723 444 291, press spokesperson

More detailed information

History

Rohan island was once a Vltava island, today this part of Karlín is an island in name only. The name Rohan is named after one of its owners – Josef Rohan, a burgher and carpenter, who was its owner after 1850.
The former island was created from flood deposits. The largest extent of the island was from Těšnov to today's Šaldova Street.
Around 1900 the island was connected to the island of Jerusalem at the western end. In the 1920s, during the extensive regulation of the Vltava riverbed, it was merged with Libeň Island. Both islands were connected to the Karlin coast and the Maniny area at the same time. The arm of the river on which the port of Karlin used to operate was filled in in the 1950s.
Rohan Island has not blossomed into beauty. For many years it was basically a black dump, a periphery in the middle of the city. At the time of the metro construction, it served as a repository for excavation materials. In 1999, extensive clean-up work began ahead of a planned revitalisation of the area.
Want to know more about the area? Read Historical and Natural Sciences Research Rohan Island.

Further information

Detailed information about the project

The acquisition of the Rohan and Libeň Island Concept Plan and the landscape design of Maniny Park will take place in several steps. A multidisciplinary IPR project team with the involvement of all key stakeholders and local actors prepared the initial assignment, which will be further developed during the competitive dialogue. IPR provides the organization and professional guarantee of the whole process, including the completion of the Concept Plan according to which the area will be progressively developed.

TO DOWNLOAD:

The area of Landscape Design of Maniny Park and Rohan and Libeň Island Concept Plan

Summary Analysis of Rohan Island

Watch the video about Rohan Island to learn about the plans for the future, but also to get to know the local stakeholders and communities. For example, did you know that Libeň is home to the oldest gardening colony in Prague? Or that Maniny takes its name from the fact that the river flowed wherever it pleased?

Maniny Park – project for a new river arm

Maniny Park is a project to create a new arm of the river; a new flow channel will be created at the site by digging up several meters of soil deposited over the last decades. This flood protection measure has long been included in the Zoning Plan of the City of Prague.
The aim of the project is to link the theme of the city center landscape with flood protection.
The Maniny Park should be flood resilient and at the same time offer the residents of Prague a new place for recreation and relaxation.
Specifically, it concerns Construction No. 4679 Maniny – PPO, reduction of Karlín level, which is invested by the Strategic Investment Department of City of Prague and is divided into three stages. Stages 1 and 2, which involve the excavation of two pools (up to 8 m deep) and the overall reduction of the level in their surroundings, have had construction permits for several years.
Construction of the first two phases is expected to start in 2022. Implementation may take 2–5 years depending on funding.
Stage 3 is crucial, during which the terrain will be lowered further and the two pools will be connected into a canal. This will only ensure that the river flow slows down during floods.
To ensure that the Maniny Park is of the best possible quality and that its standard meets current and future requirements, it was agreed with the investors, the Strategic Investment Department of City of Prague and the Environment Protection Department of City of Prague, that the landscape design of Maniny Park will be redesigned and this landscape design that emerges from the international competitive dialogue will be implemented.

TO DOWNLOAD:

The area of Landscape Design of Maniny Park and Rohan and Libeň Island Concept Plan

Park Maniny – project for a new river arm

Stakeholders

Take a look at the stakeholder map of Rohan and Libeň Island.

Related projects

Libeň Bridge

The Libeň Bridge area investor is the Prague Roads Authority, while the political guarantor is Deputy Mayor for Transport Adam Scheinherr.
The study envisages the construction of a new flood bridge to be part of the flood control measures, and the repair of the historic bridge over the river designed by Pavel Janák from 1928.
Barrier-free ramps leading to Rohan Island will be created alongside the flood bridge.
The reconstruction anticipates the widening of sidewalks and the creation of new cycle paths along the entire length of the bridge area, which will lead from Holešovice to Palmovka in the future.
In everything goes smoothly, it will be possible to start construction as early as in the first half of 2022, with some reconstruction work possibly starting even earlier.

Rohan City

Rohan City is a residential and administrative center in Karlín and the area in front of Libeň Bridge covering an area of 200 000 m² and located between Rohanské nábřeží street and the cycle path.
This is the largest private investment at this location. The investor is Sekyra Group, which won the open urban competition, submitting a study from the Pavel Hnilička Architekti studio.
IPR representatives are in regular contact with the developer and ensure the coordination of the project to ensure it is in line with the overall vision for Rohan Island.
Emphasis is placed primarily on the connection of the new and original buildings with the surrounding landscape and the connection of the territory to the Rohan Island project.
The Rohan City revitalization is divided into five stages. In the first stage, Sekyra Group will build two residential buildings with 220 apartments in the location opposite Invalidovna in Karlín. These will be complemented by 30 000 m² of administrative space in two office buildings designed by architects Eva Jiřičná and Jakub Cigler.
The architectural competition for the 2nd stage, won by the architects Schindler Seko and Atelier bod, Loxia, Qarta Architektura and A.D.N.S. Production also addressed the possible incorporation of the future Rohan Bridge, which should connect the Karlín area with Holešovice in Prague 7, anticipated to be another important urban element in the development of the wider center of Prague.
According to today’s plans, the last stage should be completed within 12 to 15 years, meaning by 2035. A total of 11 000 people will find housing and work here. The total investment in Rohan City is likely to exceed CZK 15 billion.
Construction started in autumn 2021
Urban study by Pavel Hnilička Architekti
Urban study with regulatory elements

International Competitive Dialogue Procedure

Competitive Dialogue Procedure for Rohan and Libeň Island

Multidisciplinary teams with at least a landscape architect, an architect or an urban designer and a water engineer can enter the procurement procedure, which will be conducted in the form of a competitive dialogue. Applications for candidates were open until Friday May 20, 2 pm. The team must have at least one member who is authorized by the czech chambers (ČKA or ČKAIT). Candidates might apply to the competitive dialogue procedure from Friday 7 April to Friday 20 May 2022 at 14.00 CEST via the Tender Arena tool. Four teams will be selected based on their professional design approach to key topics that concern Rohan and Libeň Island, such as sustainability, urban planning, landscape architecture and others. The aim of Prague is to gain a long-term partner for the development of the area and its management. In July 2022, a two-day committee meeting was held to select four teams from the entries to continue the competitive dialogue. These are international teams made up of studios from Belgium, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic. The shortlisted teams are DELVA + perspectives; LOLA+M2AU+CIE; New Park Maniny Consortium - DS + VenhoevenCS + MOBA + Aquatis and OMGEVING_FISER_VRV_SINDLAR. Thank you for your interest and congratulations to the qualifying teams! The teams are selected by an eleven-member committee of 5 dependent and 6 independent experts from different professions; foreign representatives are represented by environmental scientist Fabio Masi and landscape architect Antje Stokman. Experts in social issues, gentrification, biodiversity, water management and other fields were also invited. The estimated price of the final contract, which will include not only the completion of the landscape proposal and concept plan, but mainly the project documentation for the implementation of Maniny Park, is around CZK 45 million (1.85 million EUR); the exact tasks and final amount will be specified by the teams during the competitive dialogue. The competitive dialogue procedure will take approximately 14 months, with the winner to be announced in June 2023. An introductory conference, which will also be open to the general public, and workshops will take place in Prague in September of this year.

What is a Competitive Dialogue Procedure

The selection procedure will be carried out in the form of a competitive dialogue procurement procedure. The process is significantly more flexible than a traditional design competition and is not anonymous. The main advantage of a competitive dialogue is the possibility to develop the assignment (brief) gradually as the proposals and views of all participants evolve. The basis of a competitive dialogue is a joint debate between all stakeholders — landscapers, architects, politicians, water engineers, administrators and important local actors — which serves as a means to gain a comprehensive understanding of the site, its qualities and problems, and to understand the requirements of all stakeholders and disciplines in their context, and thus to understand them better. Within the framework of the competitive dialogue, several proposals are created in parallel by multidisciplinary teams. The proposals are continuously presented, so all participants have the opportunity to express themselves at all stages of the design process (from concept to final proposal).

Participation

The future design of Rohan Island is being considered in cooperation with local stakeholders and the public. The intention is not only to create a social consensus on the development of the area, but also to strengthen the relationship and inform.

Despite the pandemic measures, a number of participatory activities have taken place in recent months. Partly online, partly physically, we met with local residents, area users and stakeholders. The information container allowed us to meet as wide a public as possible, to present the planned revitalisation of the area, and above all to get important feedback and different opinions. In addition to the container, we prepared a questionnaire that was available online and physically for two months. We received 500 responses, and met with forty stakeholders during two online workshops. In groups we intensively discussed the current image of Rohan and Libeň Island, the positives and negatives of the area and the opportunities for the future. We carefully processed the collected data and now you can read the outputs of our participation activities in the individual outputs. You can study the map of suggestions from the questionnaire or look at the map of key actors as well.

Summary report on public involvement

Rohan and Libeň Island Concept - Summary of public involvement

01 The Territory of the Rohan and Libeň Islands - In the eyes of the public and the key actors

02 Locations of the Rohan and Libeň Islands - In the eyes of the public and the key actors

03 Involvement of key players of Rohan and Libeň Islands - Finding a vision for development
of the territory

04 Users of Rohan and Libeň Islands - Field interviews

05 The present and future of Rohan and Libeň Islands - Through the eyes of children and students

06 Rohan and Libeň Islands - Homeless people