Sekyra Group has purchased key land at the Žižkov railway station from Czech Railways, where it will build the Žižkov City district with 3,000 apartments
Prague, 24 April 2025 – Sekyra Group purchases key land in the former Žižkov freight station complex from Czech Railways for CZK 2.23 billion. It will build a new district there called Žižkov City, which will include 3,000 apartments. The total investment will reach CZK 25 billion. The creation of the new district will be made possible by a recently approved change in the development plan. Žižkov City is one of the three largest urban developments in central Prague, the others being the Smíchov City and Rohan City projects on which Sekyra Group is also currently working. This will mainly be a residential district, but there will also be commercial units, social amenities, sports facilities and a park at ground level, as well as an extensive public space in the historic building of the Žižkov freight station. The entire urbanisation project is expected to be completed within twenty years. Thanks to these investments, Sekyra Group holds a key position in the construction of premium residences and a dominant 80% share in the office building construction segment in the Prague market. Sekyra Group is currently developing projects with a total area of more than 1 million m2 and a total value of CZK 100 billion.
“I am delighted that, after many years of preparation and changes to the development plan, we can begin preparations for the construction of the new Žižkov City district, one of the three largest urban developments in central Prague, alongside the Smíchov City and Rohan City projects we are currently working on. This will enable us to draw on our experience from the transformation of these large brownfield sites. A modern centre will be constructed at the former railway station in Žižkov. Three thousand apartments will be built here, with a total investment of CZK 25 billion. We will gradually build an attractive district that will fundamentally change the face of Žižkov in the 21st century. The architectural design of each residential block will be a unique work of art, with leading Czech and foreign architects contributing to the project. We will also involve the public in the planning process. I am also very glad that we have found a model for cooperation with the City of Prague for the revitalisation of the neighbouring historic building of the Žižkov freight station, where a public space of citywide significance will be created. We propose naming the street network and parks in the new district after important writers and dissidents,” said Luděk Sekyra, chairman of the Board of Directors of Sekyra Group.
The change to the development plan was approved by Prague City Council on 24 April 2025. Žižkov City will thus be built on the site of the former Žižkov freight station, which ceased operations in 2002. The entire brownfield site covers over 30 hectares. Sekyra Group purchased this site, specifically its largest part covering almost 10 hectares, from Czech Railways for CZK 2.23 billion. “I am pleased that after several years of negotiations, we have managed to reach an agreement that is significantly more advantageous for Czech Railways than the original proposals. The sale of this land in Žižkov is an important step both for our company’s finances and also for the further development of this part of the capital. This huge brownfield site can now be transformed into a modern district offering a new life and housing for thousands of people,” said Michal Krapinec, chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of Czech Railways.
Over the years, the proposal to change the development plan has been modified many times in accordance with the requirements of zoning authorities, citizens and local governments. After finalising the proposal to change the development plan, the Prague Institute of Planning and Development (IPR) drew up an urban study with elements of a regulatory plan for the Žižkov freight station site, which was approved by Prague City Council in 2022. The study envisages the creation of a new urban district with a series of interconnected parks and public spaces, complemented by green promenades for pedestrians. The listed historical station building is to be preserved. A new tram line from Habrová to Olšanská will run through the district, and a new transport link, known as Jarovská třída, is planned between Malešická and Českobrodská streets. The Žižkov City project will be designed on the basis of this IPR urban study.
“This is one of the few large undeveloped areas in the wider centre of Prague that benefits from connections to functioning urban infrastructure. We have been working on the development of this brownfield site, the urbanisation of which has now been made possible by a change in the development plan, for nineteen years. We will build a district for more than six thousand residents with traditional housing blocks that clearly define the street network with generously designed green spaces. In each block, we will once again give multiple architectural studios the opportunity to create the impression of a naturally evolved city,” said Leoš Anderle, CEO of Sekyra Group, describing the new district. He added that investments in sports facilities, including cycling paths and social services are also planned.
One condition for approval of the amended development plan was the conclusion of a planning agreement between Sekyra Group, Prague City Hall and the Prague 3 municipal district. In the agreement, Sekyra Group undertook a number of commitments. Based on this agreement, the company will contribute CZK 624 million to investments in public amenities. Under the planning agreement, Sekyra Group has also agreed to build social and sports facilities as part of the project. It also promised that, in view of the requirements of the Prague 3 municipal district, it would restrict car traffic in the new district, giving the streets a predominantly residential character. Sekyra Group will also renovate U Nákladového nádraží street and create a large park, the design of which will be decided through an architectural and landscape design competition. Additional greenery will form a continuous belt leading from the new square along the corridor of the original railway line and run through the entire area. Perpendicular to this belt, an avenue of trees will be planted between U Nákladového nádraží and Malešická streets, forming a north-south green axis for the area.
At the end of last year, Sekyra Group, in cooperation with Czech Railways, enabled the City of Prague to take over ownership of the premises for future public infrastructure, specifically the cultural and social centre project in the historic Žižkov freight station building, land for a primary school and land for a tram line. Prague City Hall wants to reconstruct the former station building, which is the largest preserved functionalist building in Prague. An extension will also create the potential for the construction of up to 20,000 m2 of municipal apartments. A large square is planned next to the station building. to create a generous public space with an array of shops and social spaces, including a new primary school.
The Žižkov City project places great emphasis on sustainability and blue-green infrastructure. For example, rainwater will be collected and used to water green spaces. In line with the climate change adaptation strategy, parts of the roofs will be covered with vegetation. Surveys and reference studies are currently underway to assess the project in accordance with the Environmental Impact Assessment Act, and an architectural competition for the design of the first blocks is being prepared. These will be evaluated by a jury of experts, and representatives of the Prague 3 municipal district and Prague City Hall. Sekyra Group will proceed in Žižkov similarly to the case of Smíchov City and Rohan City, where it invited several architectural firms to collaborate in order to create a diverse urban development.
The construction of Žižkov City, which is divided into three major phases, is scheduled to begin at the turn of 2027 and 2028. The total costs are estimated to reach CZK 25 billion. The project should be fully completed within twenty years.
