Spanish Studio OCA Architects will Design the new Prague Congress Center

Spanish architectural design receives recognition once again. A Spanish architectural studio headquartered in Barcelona, OCA Architects, has won an international competition to lead the expansion of the Prague Congress Center (PCC, previously known as the KCP). The project will also involve the participation of local studio CMC Architects, which has its head office in the Czech capital.

Works on the 10,000 square meters of indoor space and 14,000 square meters of public space are currently planned to begin in 2021, at a cost of around 25 million euros. The Congress Center is predicted to be completed in January 2023, assuming the project starts on time. In addition to the building itself, this will also include a new exhibition hall, restaurants and various administrative units.

The design has an elongated shape and will reach from Magistrala street to Na Pankráci street, and as far as the edge of Pankrác Square. Due to its large size, it was decided that the building will rise above the park, allowing the flow of city life to continue as usual. Likewise, the building will include an interactive facade which will set the tone for the staging of activities and events.   

The key to this new expansion is the idea of creating a building which "floats" above a new urban park, and which will be independent. The official project report states that the main objective of the new Prague Congress Center (PCC) is to “promote a dialogue between the center and its context”, such that the new public space can become a “gathering point” which simultaneously promotes “very important interactions between exhibition attendees and the community”.

OCA Architects is a Barcelona studio created by a team of young architects, city planners, designers and artists. They are currently involved in several projects, working on buildings, public spaces and installations, primarily in Europe. OCA Architects carefully analyze contemporary lifestyles, economic patterns, urban growth and technological developments from the point of view of architecture as a powerful tool which unites us all.