1km of Urban Change – Revitalization of the Area Around Negrelli Viaduct

The ongoing project 1km of Urban Change has received recognition as a finalist for the 2025 New European Bauhaus Prize and as a nominee for the 2026 Mies Award.

Located in Prague’s Karlín neighborhood, the 1 km-long Negrelli Viaduct was a longtime site for illegal parking and garbage dumping. CCEA MOBA initiated the area’s revitalization, introducing the possibility of opening the arches for creative and local use. “1 KM of Urban Change” transforms the arches into vibrant spaces for residents and small businesses. This sustainable, community-driven project reconnects historic infrastructure with contemporary urban life and offers a model for future transformations of neglected spaces beneath transport infrastructure.

The project began in response to the State Railway’s 2012 announcement and plan for the renovation of the Negrelli Viaduct. CCEA MOBA noticed that the proposal overlooked the space beneath the archways. Recognizing potential for renewal, the team united residents, NGOs, artists, and city and state institutions to reimagine the viaduct as a community asset.

Through activities in cooperation with local associations, residents, artists, we started to bring attention to the potential of the area around the viaduct. The first project, The Line Galleries (2013), developed with ten Prague galleries, showcased new possibilities for the site.

In 2014, CCEA MOBA secured the transfer of land beneath the arches to the City of Prague– while the land under the pillars remained with the State Railway– a landmark success that created unprecedented conditions for public use and long-term access.

Summer under the Viaduct (2016) tested future uses and deepened community ties, leading Prague’s City Council to accept the urban study and rent strategy proposed by CCEA MOBA, allocating 40% of spaces for commerce, 40% for creative activity, and 20% for artists and pop-ups.

The 2024 Pilot Arch confirmed the model’s viability, establishing a replicable framework. The space is available to local residents for lectures, presentations, discussions, community events, exhibitions, and other pop-up activities. Thanks to the support of the City of Prague, the space can also be reserved free of charge for non-commercial purposes.

more at viaduktkarlin.cz

Process:
2012
The area under and around the viaduct is used as an illegal parking lot and dumping ground.
2013
CCEA MOBA, in collaboration with ten Prague-based galleries, organises the project The Line Galleries, aiming to highlight the potential for new uses of the space following the planned reconstruction of the structure, which had been prepared by the Railway Administration since 2012. The project focused on the technical aspects of the viaduct itself, not on the surrounding area or the spaces beneath the arches.
2014
CCEA MOBA recommends that representatives of the City of Prague, as part of the planned land exchange, transfer the land beneath the arches to the city and the land beneath the viaduct pillars to the viaduct’s administrator– the Railway Administration.
2015
In cooperation with Karlín Group, CCEA MOBA organises the symposium Negrelli Viaduct = Creative Incubator, which brought together representatives of the City of Prague, the Railway Administration, the National Heritage Institute, engineers from SUDOP, and guest architects – authors of viaduct reconstructions in Vienna, Berlin, and Zurich – at one table.
2016
CCEA MOBA implements the project Summer under the Viaduct with the aim of testing future transformations of the public space surrounding the viaduct. During the summer months, the area was turned into a space for gathering and relaxation. Volleyball, ping-pong, and basketball courts were installed, along with a stage, a summer bar, and lounge chairs.
2017
The Prague 8 municipal district approves the conceptual urban study for the revitalization of the area.
2018
The Railway Administration’s planned complete reconstruction of the Negrelli Viaduct starts.
2019
CCEA MOBA’s revitalization plan for the area is approved by the Council of the Capital City of Prague. The plan proposes the construction of over forty accessible rental spaces under the arches. A unique strategy for the use of these spaces is adopted to ensure they are available for local resident’s activities: 40% for commercial use (bars, bistros, etc.), 40% for creative activities (studios, workshops), and 20% for start-ups and emerging artistic projects.
2020
CCEA MOBA begins preparing the Pilot Arch project.
2021
The project is taken over by the Transport Department of the Capital City of Prague, and together with the Technical Road Administration (TSK), the design was refined.
2022
The building permit is secured.
2023
Strabag a.s. is assigned as general contractor for the Pilot Arch.
2024
The Pilot Arch is launched in December with the possibility of use for civic and community activities. The technical properties and operational potential of the space will be tested for a period of two years.
2025
At this moment, design work continues on the revitalization of the entire area, and a zoning procedure is underway for the whole locality with the aim of revitalizing the public space around the viaduct and making an additional 49 arches accessible for affordable local activities.