Chotek Gardens, adjacent to Queen Anne’s Summer Palace between Mariánské hradby and Chotkova streets, is a historically protected park with a rich history—it was once used for knightly tournaments and served as a support facility for Prague Castle, where wood was stored. The English-style park, established in 1832 in connection with the construction of Chotkova Road, is Prague’s first public park and also František Thomayer’s first work. Today, it offers a peaceful retreat for locals and visitors to Prague Castle and the adjacent Royal Gardens, with beautiful views of the city and the historic monument to Julius Zeyer from 1913.

The current condition of the greenery, pathways, and outdoor furniture calls for restoration. The Prague Castle Administration, as the site’s manager, will therefore launch an architectural competition aimed at developing a concept for the park’s revitalization that preserves its historical character, improves connectivity with the surrounding area, and establishes conditions for long-term, high-quality maintenance of the greenery. Another goal is to improve connections to the Royal Garden and the Stag Moat (with preparations for better access to Hradčanská Street) and to provide a panoramic view of Prague from the southern side of the park.

The Institute of Planning and Development of Prague is responsible for organizing and coordinating the competition based on a cooperation agreement signed with Prague Castle.

During November 2024 and January 2025, public participation took place both on-site and online. The activities focused on gathering suggestions and surveying the needs of park users. An anthropological study was also conducted in Chotek Gardens and its immediate surroundings, which helped reveal user behavior in the park and, at the same time, understand the social context of the site.

In November 2024, two walking tours were held, during which participants could learn about the history of Chotek Gardens and share their impressions, suggestions, and experiences with the site. The collected suggestions will subsequently be used in the competition brief as one of the reference materials for the competing teams of architects and landscape architects.

The outputs from the first phase of public participation will serve as the basis for the design competition brief, which was announced in May 2025.

A total of seven proposals advanced to the shortlist. The winning proposal for the restoration of Chotek Gardens was unveiled on 7 November 2025, at the Center for Architecture and Metropolitan Planning. The winning proposal by the Arkytek studio aims to preserve the park’s original composition while rearranging the greenery. The renovations also aim to improve connectivity to the Royal Garden and the Stag Moat, with preparations for better access to Hradčanská Street, as well as to provide a panoramic view of Prague from the southern side of the park.