From brownfield to urban park

Rohan Island was once an actual island. However, in the 1930s, the Vltava River lost one of its branches during river regulation, and the area gradually became part of the city. Today, several different worlds converge across 56 hectares along the right bank of the Vltava River. On one side, you’ll find the gleaming Rohan City office park and new luxury apartments, as well as the busy A2 bike path; on the other, the cultural oasis of Přístav 18600, urban wilderness, and a brownfield site.

The City of Prague and the Prague Institute of Planning and Development (IPR Prague) began addressing the future shape of the area in 2022, when they announced an international design competition for the Maniny Park Study and the Concept for Rohan Island and Libeň Island. Thirteen multidisciplinary teams from around the world submitted entries. An expert committee selected four of them to explore the best way to integrate recreational use of the area with nature, access to the river, and flood protection. In 2023, the Belgian-Czech team OMGEVING + FIŠER + VRV + ŠINDLAR was declared the winner. Their proposal became the basis for the future transformation of the Maniny Park.

“The leitmotif that guided us from the start was the river. Vltava creates a wide variety of landscapes along its entire course. In Holešovice and Karlín, it forms a bend that’s about two kilometers long. If you follow Vltava from its source, you won’t find any other natural phenomenon—a bend of this size embedded in the landscape—anywhere else. We want Vltava to become, in this location as well, what it is for Vyšehrad or Prague Castle—what it means for Troja and Stromovka. Right now, the river in Karlín and Holešovice lies dormant,” says one of the project’s architects, Michal Fišer, describing the design.

A river lagoon, recreational terraces, and an orchard

The basis of the proposal is to lower the terrain and open up the park toward the Vltava River. The current bike path will be transformed into a green promenade, and new terraces will allow visitors to descend all the way to the river. At the same time, the park will retain its character as an urban wilderness and offer a variety of environments. Quieter natural areas will be complemented by spaces for sports, culture, children, and everyday relaxation.

Most activities will be concentrated around the Libeň Bridge, where the design calls for sports fields and a river swimming area. An orchard will also be added, while the allotment garden colony at Libeňské Kosy—one of the oldest in Prague—will be preserved. The new terrain layout will also prepare the area for the Vltava River to flood during high water.

The architects have designed the park with distinct atmospheres and uses across its various zones. Closer to the Vltava, there will be recreational terraces and a lagoon suitable for swimming. Toward Libeňské Kosy, the park’s character will gradually become more tranquil and natural. One of the landmarks of the entire area will be the current concrete plant, whose structure will be transformed into a cultural center once it ceases operations. All of this will be built around the bike path that already runs through the area.

“The current terrain lies relatively high above the Vltava River’s water level. In the 1960s, soil was brought here from various parts of Prague, partly in connection with the construction of the metro. One of the key steps will therefore be to lower the terrain, which will create space for floodwaters to spread out and, at the same time, bring people closer to the river. The flood control measures will also include the restoration of a side channel, which will return here after approximately a hundred years. Water will flow through it across the park and rejoin the main channel of the Vltava River before Libeň Island,” explains architect Martina Bauerová from the IPR Prague Office of Public Space.

Three phases of the park’s development

Maniny Park will be developed gradually in three phases. The first will focus on site preparation and landscaping along Rohan Island Street, the second on the central part of the park, and the third on the riverside section directly along the Vltava River. The transformation will thus take place in stages, and the entire park is expected to be completed in 2035. The final design will be further refined in collaboration with public authorities, landowners, local associations, and other stakeholders currently active in the area.

Karlín and Libeň? Don’t stay away!

Maniny Park is part of a broader transformation of the landscape along the Vltava River, and three other projects are in the works in its immediate vicinity. To the east, it will be connected by Libeňské kosy, a project designed by UNIT architekti. This area, which is currently difficult to access, is set to become more open to recreational use while retaining its natural character. Further downstream, IPR Prague, together with JK ARCHITEKTI and Rehwaldt Landscape Architects, is preparing a transformation of the area around Povltavská Street, Pelc Tyrolka, and Rokytka. The future Povltavská Promenade is intended to create another section of the green corridor along the river. The Libeň Bridge Complex runs directly through the Maniny Park. Its reconstruction includes a new flood bridge that will allow water to flow through the area with minimal obstruction during floods. However, work on the bridge was halted in September 2025 due to a decision by the antitrust authority, which prohibited the fulfillment of the existing contract. The Technical Administration of Roads had fundamentally altered the project from the original tender, which, according to the authority, violated the rules of fair competition (according to the latest version of the project, the bridge was to be demolished and a replica built instead of the originally planned reconstruction).