Vítězné náměstí square is the center and the hallmark of the lively Dejvice district, yet its importance for Prague is all the greater as it forms an imaginary gateway through which one enters the city from the airport. The square’s appearance today is the work of architect Antonín Engel and his design from 1924. Engel created a regulatory plan for the entire district centered around the square, influenced by the 19th century reconstruction of Paris. Yet this was only partially implemented at the time, and it is this plan that the city wants to build on for the further development of the locality.

The new design for Vítězné náměstí square is the result of an architectural competition announced by Prague in 2018 in cooperation with IPR Prague, and its authors are Pavel Hnilička, Eva Macková and Josef Filip from Pavel Hnilička architekti studio. These authors are currently refining the proposal and discussing it with the institutions concerned. A study that forms the foundation for further design phases has already been completed. The basic idea behind the modifications to the unfinished square is to free up its center by moving the trams and other traffic away. This free center can be filled with many different activities such as markets, public gatherings, race start and finish lines, etc. The location of the square in the structure of Prague and its public-transport links mean that pedestrians will come to the fore. The mature trees along the edges of the square create a pleasant impression of a street-like space, while vehicle traffic is partially “hidden” under their green canopy.