Metroprojekt history starts with a decision to build a metro backbone network in Prague. It was preceded by the project of the underground tram, part of which was implemented, e.g. - station Hlavní nádraží under the new railway station hall.
After 1971, the preparation of the metro ran at full speed.The concept and form of the entire system of public transport in Prague were settled and are still valid. The planned metro network consisted of 4 lines with a total length of 92.7 km with 104 stations.
At the same time, the first section of the line C was designed and built. A handbook was produced and it involved stations solutions in terms of operation, layout and architecture, ventilation, lighting, information system, energy, etc. The requirements for processing a huge number of projects in a very short time, as well as investments already under construction, albeit with a different concept, could not be fully met by the newly formed team of designers alone. Therefore, extensive cooperation with several Prague design institutes was necessary. Cooperation was applied to this first operational section of the line C and it definitely brought its positives - learning the technical and time coordination of volume and time-demanding investments. This period can be considered as "apprenticeship of Metroprojekt" which laid the foundation of today's sovereignty of its engineers.
Year 1974 is an important milestone in the Metroprojekt history. The first section of the Prague metro line C "Florenc - Kačerov" was put into operation. Today, after 50 years, we could have a number of critical objections to this section, but it is necessary to remind in which environment the designer had worked. At that time, the metro was designed with the assistance of consultants from the East, the technical contact with the rest of the world was almost impossible, the invention of designers was limited by the availability of building materials, construction technology and engineering products on our side "behind the Iron Curtain"
In spite of these circumstances, the advanced technologies were designed for the first metro section - “ring method” of the tunnelling technology, full profile tunnelling under the protection of the non-mechanized shield, lagging of open foundation pits by pile walls or by “Milan” underground walls. The technology "cut and cover" was designed for the construction of the metro station I.P. Pavlova, where after the construction of side pile walls and roofing by prefabricated beams, was the station built gradually from top to bottom.
The first section of Line A was designed and constructed. While the terminal station, Dejvická (known as Leninova until 1990), is an excavated station similar to those on Line C, the five intermediate stations are bored with massive pillars in a three-aisle design. The exception is the Můstek station, which has the most successful layout with a column structure and equal lengths for all three tunnel bays. Here, the designers successfully demonstrated their mastery in technical challenges of underground construction by designing a tunneling method beneath the Vltava River using shield technology with pressed concrete moulding.
The first section of Line A went down in the history of the Prague Metro for its architectural design and artistic execution. The simple, clean design of the vestibules and atria, featuring solitary works of art, and especially the cladding of the vaulted station tunnels in the deep-bored “Puklík” stations—made of anodized aluminum, sometimes convex, sometimes concave, with a unique color in each station, the graphically perfect typography of the station names—all of this is still cited today as a model of clean and imaginative architecture, embodied by our colleague at the time, architect Jaroslav Otruba, and created moreover during a period that was decidedly not conducive to such exceptional solutions. Metroprojekt is proud to uphold this legacy. Anyone visiting the company’s headquarters today for a meeting will likely sit in one of the conference rooms, named and decorated to evoke one of the stations on this section of Line A.
In 1978, the first section of Line A, Dejvická (Leninova until 1990) – Náměstí Míru, was put into operation. This period could be called "the years of apprentice”.
In 1980, the second sections of metro line A (Želivského) and C (Jižní město) and in 1984 third section of metro line C (Nádraží Holešovice) were put into operation. The milestone of this period was the year 1985, when the first section of the metro line B Smíchovské nádraží - Florenc was put into operation. With increasing experience of the designers the driven stations achieved new expression, they became airy, the underground spaces lost theirgloom.
In 1985 the first stage of the metro construction was finished and the triangle of lines tras A, B and C was completed in the centre of the city. Extensive adaptations in the inner city with pedestrian zones and park adjustments were also carried out together with the underground constructions, which meant a substantial improvement of living conditions in the city. It revealed that metro could bring significant improvements in many urban areas. This applies not only to line B, which new stations opened the possibility of rebuilding neglected parts of the city (Anděl, Náměstí Republiky, Florenc, Národní třída), but also to the stations in other sections of lines A and C in Vinohrady, Jižní Město, and Bubny - Holešovice. A prime example is the proposal for a pedestrian zone at Zlatý kříž in Prague—see the photo of a period postcard on the right.
In addition to metro projects, comprehensive studies of public transportation systems were also carried out in a number of cities during this period—for example, in Brno (1982, 1984), Ostrava (1984), Plzeň (1983), and Bratislava. These studies subsequently served as the transportation and urban planning basis for the zoning plans of these cities. In 1982, the most extensive work in this field was also completed—a comprehensive study of the target public transport solution in Prague. In addition to studies, practical public transport projects were also developed, particularly tram line projects.
After 1989, the only way how to hold the company with a large staff was extending the activity scope and the market scale. It was inevitable to leave the current exclusive focus on metro and other public transport systems. In these times, Metroprojekt acquired the clients in the field of projecting the railway reconstructions, private developers and other public investors. One of the effective ways how to address the client was at the time Turnkey delivery including engineering and construction services. The first successful Turnkey delivery was the reconstruction of Krone department store on Wenceslas Square. Another Turnkey delivery was the reconstruction of the historic centre of the city of Kladno. It was the reconstruction of all utility lines, roads, pavements and green.
In this period, Metroprojekt starts with projects of municipal solid waste landfills, insulated against leakage into the ground, regulated discharge of biogas, separation of layers and final land reclamation to ensure the elimination of negative impacts on the environment. The first projects of managed in landfills in Dablice and in Kolin - Na Vinici were elaborated.
The project of the reconstruction of Vindobona building in Karlovy Vary was prepared for the former majority shareholder of Metroprojekt - Cimex. See photo on the right.
An important activity of the company, which capitalizes on the experience of designing underground railway constructions, has become a design of optimization and modernization of railway corridors. The first such occasion was the railroad optimization of the first corridor Skalice nad Svitavou - Česká Třebová.
In nineties we could see an intensive growth of large shopping centres network. Infrastructure and transport connections were processed for most of them, and some centres were engineered as a whole - Hornbach, Makro or Shopping Centre Černý most.
Metro design and construction in this period had slowed but did not stop. In 1998 the fifth section of the line B - to Zličín was opened and probably the most important event was the putting into operation the fourth section of the line B to Černý Most (with a later completion of Hloubětín and Kolbenova stations). So, the longest Metro diameter was completed. New Austrian Tunelling Method was applied for the first time in this section, this method was very convenient especially for double-track tunnels. Metro was extended to 45,468 km of lines and 51 stations.
The projects of tunnels and underground constructions are Metroprojekt key know-how, so it was not difficult to start with the design of road and rail tunnels. The designs of Libouchec, Radejčín, Hřebeč, Panenská highway tunnels were elaborated in this period.
After 1989, the borders were open and new opportunities have revealed. The first international contract was a project of the underground railway tracks in Taipei, Taiwan.
Metroprojekt enters the new millennium with a strong position in the market for transportation and underground infrastructure projects, and as the following overview demonstrates, it continues to pursue a wide range of design and consulting activities. The boom in large shopping centers continues. Between 1998 and 2001, the project for the extensive Europark Štěrboholy complex was developed.
In 2002, the lives of many people were affected by flooding on the Vltava River, with water levels approximately 2 meters higher than the 100-year flood level, for which the vast majority of civil engineering structures are designed. The metro was particularly hard hit, and it was necessary to respond "overnight" and prepare the design documentation for the reconstruction of 18 metro stations on the fly so that service could resume within a few months. To protect Prague against future flooding, flood control measures combining earthen embankments and mobile barriers were designed for the section from the Barikádníků Bridge to Troja Castle.
Among the railway corridor projects, we would like to underline the “Optimization of the Česká Třebová–Krasíkov Line” project, featuring complex engineering structures. Together with the Krasíkov–Zábřeh section, designs for five double-track railway tunnels were developed here. Other completed sections included Beroun–Zbiroh on Corridor III and Horní Dvořiště–České Budějovice on Corridor IV.
In the field of specialized structures for the energy sector, a major project was the spent fuel storage facility at the Dukovany Nuclear Power Plant, featuring specialized structures with heat-resistant and shielding properties. Building on this experience in the energy sector, we subsequently in 2010 carried out a project to construct a new combined-cycle power plant at the Počerady Power Plant.
Important projects included master plans and studies for the expansion of air bases in accordance with NATO standards and other military facilities. For the Čáslav Air Base, a comprehensive master plan was developed, followed by design documentation for selected special structures. A master plan was also developed for the Náměšť nad Oslavou Air Base. For the Jince military base, infrastructure reconstruction projects were prepared.
The portfolio of transportation projects was successfully expanding with both new construction and reconstruction projects for tram lines. Among the new constructions, the Hlubočepy–Barrandov tram line stands out for its scope and innovative design. With a total length of 7.3 km, it features a technically interesting retractable bridge viaduct at maximum gradient and the distinctive architecture of its six stops. Tram line renovations are increasingly becoming comprehensive street environment projects, such as the grass-covered tram tracks on Sokolovská and Českomoravská streets, or the modifications to the entire street profile on Karmelitská Street.
A number of projects were carried out for Prague, focusing on prioritizing the smooth flow of public transportation, introducing new public transportation systems (minibuses), traffic-light-controlled intersections, traffic solutions for selected areas, bicycle routes, and more. Metroprojekt’s traffic engineers also prepared significant and extensive comprehensive documentation for the Ministry of Transport the Study on Public Transportation Service in Prague and surrounding areas.
Among projects involving transportation technology, we can highlight our role as a general designer of the electronic toll system on the network of highways and expressways in the Czech Republic.
An interesting and instructive collaboration was with the Italian client, Grandi Stazioni, on projects for the reconstruction of the Prague Hlavní nádraží passenger lounge and for the station building in Mariánské Lázně.
The most unnusual commission became the design of the Aquapalace Praha recreation center—the largest water park in Central Europe—whose unfinished structure, abandoned in 2003, served as the basis for both the design and construction work.
The completed renovation of the historically protected Czech Radio building on Vinohradská Street had become a testament of the successful—albeit exceptionally challenging—work of the architects and designers at Metroprojekt. The requirements for the layout and functional design of the broadcast facilities, studios, and administrative spaces were unique in many respects. One of the most significant projects was undoubtedly the revitalization of the Klementinum complex. The goal, carried out under the complex conditions of a phased renovation, was to find a balance (or compromise) between preserving the historical value of this valuable architectural monument and meeting the operational needs of a modern library, open to leading researchers, students, and the general public alike.
The design and construction of the metro once again moved forward at a faster pace, this time on the fourth section of Line C, Nádraží Holešovice–Letňany, built in two phases and put into operation in 2004 and 2008. This line also boasts technical innovations in the underground construction. A technically unique solution was designed for the submerged tunnels, set on the bed of the Vltava River between Holešovice and Troja, and in Kobylisy, Prague’s first bored single-aisle metro station with a tunnel cross-section of 220 m² was constructed. As of 2008, 57 metro stations were in operation along 59.295 km of double-track lines.
In addition to the before mentioned metro, railway, and “Blanka” tunnels, the company has been involved in a number of road and highway tunnel projects, such as the Branisko Tunnel in Slovakia and the Lahovice Tunnel on the Prague Ring Road. In addition to the structural design, the projects also included proposals for safety solutions and technological equipment—for example, for the 2-kilometer-long Panenská Tunnel on the D8 highway, or for a number of highway tunnels in Slovakia (Ovčiarisko, Čebrať, and others).
International opportunities were not long in coming. A somewhat exotic project near the equator in Africa involved the design of a single-track railway line from the port of Cotonou in Benin through Parakou to the city of Dosso in Niger, with a total length of 1,063 km.
This decade was marked by an economic recession at the beginning and an economic boom at the end. Two of our major projects in Prague were completed and put into operation, both in 2015.
The extension of Prague Metro Line A from Dejvická to Motol. A new Austrian method is no longer new (it is referred to as “conventional tunneling”)—based on a design by Metroprojekt, tunneling for transportation infrastructure began at Vypich for the first time in the Czech Republic using modern full-face TBMs, known as Tonda and Adéla.
For more than 10 years, designers have been working on the City Ring Road project in the Prašný most–Špejchar section (part of the Blanka tunnel complex). The design connects to the Hradčanská metro station concourse, the Praha Dejvice railway station, and Milady Horákové Street, including the tram line.
A new fourth metro line, Line D, is being prepared for the Náměstí Míru–Depo Písnice section, where proposals for technical innovations focus primarily on technological equipment—trains here will operate driverless and with a state-of-the-art safety and control system. The visual design of the stations is also developing in a very interesting direction; in agreement with the investor, Metroprojekt is organizing invited design competitions, with results that are generating high expectations. Between 2019 and 2021, a geological survey was conducted in the form of underground excavations in the profiles and locations of future sections of tunnels and stations in the Pankrác area.
A project of comparable significance is the Prague–Airport–Kladno rail link. It has been in development for many years, but it was not until this decade that it received the necessary political support. The project is divided into a number of sections, and preparations for some of them have already made significant progress.
During this period, another important client was added to Metroprojekt’s portfolio—Prague Airport. This collaboration began with the major project for the Parallel Runway and continued with a series of medium-sized and smaller projects.
The largest international contract in the company’s history to date is the design of the third metro line in Sofia, Bulgaria, ranging from alternative transportation and urban planning solutions to documentation for the zoning decision. The first section under the historic city center, including a new depot, was put into operation in August 2020.
Other international activities focused on the design of metro stations in Minsk, Belarus, and Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Design technology during this period saw a leap forward—we began designing a number of projects in 3D and gained our first experience with BIM. Compared to 2D drawings, this represents something entirely new in terms of both concept and quality.
n 2019, Metroprojekt relocated from its traditional address on I.P. Pavlova to a brand-new AOB building in Holešovice, the design of which it helped shape while preparing the construction project documentation.
