Prague has shown a new navigation system. It offers a specific “Prague” font on the signs
On Tuesday, representatives of Prague presented a new navigation system for the capital. The regional organizer of Prague’s integrated transport announced a competition for it last year. The modernized system aims to connect and consolidate the now fragmented orientation elements and also to improve the amount and quality of information provided to Praguers and visitors to the city, for example using electronic elements and online data.
“The decisive colors are dark backgrounds and white information. The metro is complemented by linear colors accented in traditional lines, now it is a blue line D. For pedestrian navigation we use accents in orange,” to the joint design of Side2 studios, architectural studio A69 – architects and Superior Type director of graphic studio Side2 Tomáš Machek. The new orientation system is designed for pedestrians, cars, cyclists or public transport.
According to the winning design, the above-ground elements were to be supplemented, for example, by signposts that will navigate to monuments, services or subway entrances for disadvantaged people, and obelisks with information for pedestrians. From the location of the map on the obelisks, the city promises to increase the popularity of walking compared to shorter public transport rides. The newly designed Prague Citizen font will be used for table descriptions.
The regional organizer of Prague’s integrated transport (ROPID) announced a two-round competition for a unified information system for public transport and the area of Prague in 2021. The task of the designers was to design a comprehensive solution that will make it easier for the public to move around the metropolis.
The winner of the two-stage competition was chosen by a jury of 16 registered teams. The jury included architect and urban planner Pavla Melková, information designer Veronika Egger, ROPID director Petr Tomčík and Deputy Mayor Adam Scheinherr (Prague Sobě).
According to Deputy Scheinherr, the city wants to install the first new navigation signs in the summer. Pedestrian navigation according to the winning design will thus appear, for example, on the pedestrian route between the Old Town Square and the Prague Exhibition Grounds. The Prague transport company will test the system during the summer at the Palmovka and Háje stations.
The fact that the existing signs will not be exchanged for new ones was widely announced earlier by the Mayor of Prague, Zdeněk Hřib (Pirates). The exchange of markings and orientation elements will thus be approached within the framework of repairs for other reasons.
The project of a unified information system of the Czech capital has been being prepared since 2017. The current form of the navigation system dates from the last century. According to Scheinherr, the current system is fragmented and its elements are in charge of various administrators. According to him, the unification should also reduce the cost of administration and maintenance.
Winning design – new graphics of the capital. m of Prague Video: City Hall m of Prague