by Larissa Petryca, on 25 October 2022 15:30:22 CEST
Over its 18 year history Prague City University has enjoyed many milestones. The recent rebrand and expansion into four schools has allowed us to embark on another exciting phase of our development.
In January 2023, PCU will begin the first part of a campus expansion plan with a move from our founding campus in Vinohrady to a new City Centre Campus in Prague 1. This will be followed in 2024 by the opening of a new second campus in the creative district of Pragovka.
New City Centre Campus
PCU’s City Centre Campus will occupy the first, second and fifth floors of the Hybernska Centrum building in Hybernska street, directly opposite the Masaryk railway station and Náměstí Republiky metro line. The campus is located in the dynamic new quarter of Masaryčka which is undergoing swift urban development and renewal. The quarter includes prestigious new buildings for global businesses alongside public-friendly green spaces, numerous cafes, hotels, restaurants, study spaces and galleries surrounding the railway station.
Pragovka Campus
PCU has had a small campus at Pragovka for several years and a long-held ambition to move into the middle wing of the E Factory when it is fully reconstructed. The Pragovka Art District is a transformative project that will feature historically significant industrial buildings converted into sustainable, energy efficient studios, start-ups, incubators and traditional office and classroom spaces. These will sit alongside newly built housing connected by green, public-friendly open spaces. The E Factory - built between 1930–1933, by architect Josef Kalous - is the beating heart of Pragovka and is the main entry point to the district. Pragovka is a short walk from the Kolbenova and Vysočanská metro stations and tram stops, and in the future it will be fully integrated into the nearby cycle path network.
Why are we moving?
In addition to the need for more classrooms, PCU has sought to find new campuses that are at once spacious and energy efficient to reduce environmental impact, and close to Prague’s safe and excellent public transport network. Both campuses are also attractive due to their location within neighbourhoods that are complementary to the teaching, learning and research taking place at PCU, giving students better access to visit and learn directly from professionals working nearby. The new City Centre and Pragovka Campuses are a 12 minute metro ride apart, and approximately 22 minutes door to door. By tram or by bike - almost entirely on the cycle paths - the journey will be 30-35 minutes.
City Centre Campus benefits
The City Centre Campus has the advantage of facing Prague’s newest prestige development Masaryčka, one of the last projects designed by renowned Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid. Located within Hybernska Centrum, the PCU floors feature tall ceilings, wide corridors and classrooms that are spacious, well-ventilated and bright.
Students will enjoy the new spaces and the benefits of the local environment. One block from the City Centre Campus is Kampus Hybernska, a student quarter offering a large cafe and outdoor garden, theatre, recording studio, lecture rooms and gallery spaces. Several buildings of the Czech Academy of Sciences are also within a block of PCU’s City Centre Campus, including the Institute of Czech Literature and the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Oriental Institute, Institute of Psychology and the Institute of Contemporary History, now undergoing comprehensive reconstruction. Both buildings provide public access, libraries, lecture rooms and a wide range of academic activities that complement our own academic and research endeavours.
Pragovka Campus benefits
The Pragovka Art District, with its cornerstone E Factory, has actively pursued a rich tenancy mix to organically grow a collaborative and creative community. As the education partner within the project, PCU is central to the developer’s vision which will also include art studios and businesses. The aim is synergy through information exchange, shared resources and a rich programme of activities and events, alongside essential retail such as restaurants, bars, cafes and groceries.
In the near future, the district will include a brand new Student Housing development just 20 metres from our front door, and many apartment developments in the nearby environs. Students will be a major force in directing urban regeneration within this exciting new district and PCU lecturers will undertake research alongside the developer to forestall negative aspects of gentrification.
We are proud and grateful for the founding campus at Polska street in Vinohrady which has been our home for the past 18 years. At the same time, we look forward to these exciting new premises that will offer exceptional benefits to our students as they embark on their learning journeys with us. Our new campuses support our vision to deepen our engagement with the vibrant neighbourhoods and exciting communities that are helping make Prague and Prague City University a place for an outstanding education providing myriad pathways to rewarding careers.
Campus Moves in Brief
- Opening our City Centre Campus on Hybernska street for the February 2023 semester.
- Opening our brand new, fully reconstructed and spacious Pragovka Campus in 2024 - or earlier!
- Continuing with our Bishop’s Court Campus until the expansion to Pragovka is complete.
- Thereafter, continuing with a two physical campus strategy, and our third Digital Campus, that will develop and extend our relationships and collaborations with the people, institutions and neighbourhoods that make Prague our home.
