A new cable car will open on Petřín, cars will blink and turn red as they pass
the next step in the Petřín funicular modernization project will now be the preparation of a public contract for the purchase of new vehicles, which the Prague Transport Company (DPP) plans to announce by the end of this year.
The international open design competition was announced by DPP in October last year. A total of 26 teams applied with their references and portfolios, including ten foreign teams from seven countries. The finalists had the task of developing a design proposal for the bodywork and interior of the new cable car vehicle on Petřín.
However, the original competition was canceled mostly before the finish line, as one of the two finalists did not submit their proposal. Therefore, the DPP announced the competition again in July 2022 with a new organizer and a completely new jury, but with the same conditions.
The winners were decided by a five-member jury, whose chairman was Ivan Dlabač, head of the industrial design studio at the University of Applied Arts in Prague (UMPRUM). He had, for example, the experienced architect Patrik Kotas or the deputy mayor for transport Adam Scheinherr by his side.
“We took the task of designing a new look for the next generation of the Petřín cable car very responsibly, because each of the previous generations shaped the image of Petřín as a completely unique location of world importance. In a situation where it turned out to be necessary to replace the original cars from the 1980s built on chassis from the 1930s, we decided on a design competition, the result of which we are now presenting,” said Scheinherr.
The organizer of the new competition was the CCEA MOBA studio, which proved itself in the organization of the international architectural competition for the Podbaba – Troja – Bohnice cable car. Her image was published this August. The cable car will serve up to 2,300 people per hour, the city will spend approximately two billion crowns.
Exposed, airy, loved
The winning team of Anna Marešová came up with a playful idea of the interaction of a blinking and stylish vehicle when passing each other, apart from the high-quality design of the car.
“The flashing of one light like the blinking eye of the first vehicle and the blushing of the shy second car is a wonderful example of the humanization of technology, a metaphor for meeting on Petřín and a unique thing that, I firmly believe, will be liked not only by the people of Prague, but also by visitors to Prague,” said Scheinherr, who is at the same time chairman of the DPP supervisory board.
The chief designer of the project stated that she and her team designed the new cable car with respect for its legacy and place, but in such a way that it would be comfortable and technologically advanced. “Exposed, airy, loved – that was our slogan for the entire project of the new cable car on Petřín. I believe that it will serve people well and entertain them for at least the next 30 years,” added Anna Marešová.
The transport company presented the Tatra T3 Coupé tram from the designer Anna Marešová. The tram also has a bar. (24/10/2018)
The Czech studio has already collaborated with DPP in the past. “I am even more pleased with their victory, as we already have shared experience from previous years with the successful project of the T3 Coupé excursion tram,” commented Jan Šurovský, member of the board of directors and technical director of DPP – Surface.
The joint design of the Austrian studios Spirit Design, Döllmann Design and Architektur ZT finished second in the competition. Third place was taken by a novel design by the Czech studio Aufeer Design from the Matador Group. The concept of the Munich design office N+P Innovation Design took fourth place. The winner and all finalists receive the same reward of 500,000 crowns.