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Praha hlavní nádraží is the largest of the country's passenger railway stations and the most important one in Prague. It stands near Wenceslas Square, where Nové Město, Vinohrady and Žižkov meet.[1] Its historical building, with a hall rising above the tracks, ranks among the country's greatest Art Nouveau monuments.[1]
History
The first station building bore the name of Emperor Franz Joseph. It was built in 1871 in the Neo-Renaissance style by Vojtěch Ignác Ullmann and Antonín Barvitius. The building, with two clock towers, measured 150 metres in length. Its appearance soon earned it the nickname "the castle station", but it could no longer handle the growing traffic, and at the turn of the century a public competition was announced for its reconstruction.[1]
The competition was won by architect Josef Fanta. The building was constructed between 1901 and 1909, with the station being rebuilt while remaining in full operation.[1][2] Between 1972 and 1977 an extensive modernisation took place, including the addition of a new departure hall. This new hall connects to the historical building, the tracks, a rooftop car park and the Hlavní nádraží metro station on Line C.[1] Passengers were processed in the historical building until July 1977, when the new underground hall opened.[2]
A further comprehensive reconstruction took place between 2006 and 2017, led by the Italian company Grandi Stazioni. It covered the underground departure hall, the central section of the Art Nouveau building and new glazing for the historical hall above the platforms. Since then the underground hall has had two floors, containing shops, restaurants, ticket offices and waiting rooms.[1]
Appearance of the building
Fanta designed the concourse hall according to Art Nouveau principles as a central pavilion with an enclosed semicircular space, which housed the ticket offices and entrances to the platforms. Today this space holds a café. The entrance façade features a large arched window, and from the centre two wings extend, ending in three-storey buildings.[1]
The whole is completed by four towers. Two mark the edges of the central vestibule and are topped with glass globes. The other two stand on the wings and carry clocks; the southern one is decorated with a winged wheel, a symbol of the railway. The dome above the main section is adorned with Art Nouveau motifs and statues representing Czech towns, the work of Stanislav Sucharda and Ladislav Šaloun.[1]
Fanta's building today
Josef Fanta's station building is the dominant feature of the station. Since 2012 it has been undergoing gradual reconstruction aimed at restoring its original appearance and adding new functions.[2] In 2021, a comprehensive renovation of the interior of this listed building began, following earlier repairs to the façade and roof. According to the plans, the building is to be connected to the new departure hall and underpasses by new escalators and staircases. The public spaces are to be restored in cooperation with heritage conservation authorities so as to come as close as possible to their original appearance.[2]
The interior reconstruction is proceeding in two stages. The first stage covered the cultural halls in the northern part and the adjoining spaces on the first floor and mezzanine; the second is focused on the upper floors and the southern part. The renovated representative spaces of the northern section have been accessible since the beginning of 2024 for guided tours and cultural events, and can also be rented.[2]
Practical information
According to the Prague City Tourism website, the passenger areas are open daily from 3:30 to 1:15, and the waiting room from 6:00 to 22:30. The station is wheelchair accessible, including the toilets. It has restaurants, a buffet, fast food outlets, a currency exchange, an ATM and luggage lockers at the end of the entrance hall.[1] The same source lists tram lines 5, 9, 15 and 26, and metro Line C. Airport Express buses stop in front of the building and take approximately 30 minutes to reach Václav Havel Airport Prague.[1] This information reflects the state given on the cited website and should be verified there.