The Nusle Bridge, one of Prague’s most important thoroughfares, connects Karlov with Pankrác, reducing the uphill and downhill journey from 3 km to just 485 metres horizontally. The structure, with its reinforced concrete frame and four pillars, spans the Nusle Valley at an average height of 40 metres. It was opened to automobile traffic on 22 February 1973, to mark the 25th anniversary of the “Victorious February,” and the metro ran through its tunnel with its first passengers almost 15 months later. The bridge, designed by architects Stanislav Hubička, Svatopluk Kobr and Vojtěch Michálek, was named after the first communist president, Klement Gottwald, until 1990. The bridge ranks among the largest pre-stressed concrete bridge structures in the former Czechoslovakia. Stanislav Hubička – Vojtěch Michálek – Svatopluk Kobr and Collective Nusle Bridge in Prague, 1961-1973 Nuselský most, Praha 4 When the design of the new house of parliament was being considered, several buildings were being demolished in Prague’s Nusle district, creating space for one of Czechoslovakia’s most closely-watched construction projects. Discussions about spanning the Nusle Valley and linking central Prague with the Pankrác plateau had been ongoing since the early 20th century, with public competitions held in 1927, 1931, 1939, and 1958 – 1960 to find the optimal design. The last competition led to the selection of a design by Miroslav Súra, Robert Bucháček and Jaroslav Vítek, which ultimately served as the basis for the final project (1962). Besides Stanislav Hubička, author of the architectural design, the project team included Vojtěch Michálek (chief engineer), Svatopluk Kobr (transport) and other specialists (Karel Chalupský, Jiří Hejnic, Karel Babka, Zdeněk Pechatý, Petr Dobrovský and Jan Křížek). Although primarily a crucial transport structure, the team managed to create a work that is not only an outstanding feat of Czechoslovak engineering but also an iconic example of post-war architecture. The nearly 500-metre-long and 40-metre-high bridge did not disrupt Prague’s valuable panorama, and its qualities were praised by contemporary literature: “Slender, dignified, calm pillars carry a seemingly lightweight structure as if there were no tension anywhere; the bridge crosses the deep valley with absolute ease and grace. he designers had to accommodate the requirement to house a tunnel for an underground tram inside the bridge. The later decision in favour of a deeply tunnelled metro in August 1967 meant that both approaches to the bridge could be designed with more favourable layouts than the originally planned entry and exit ramps with off-grade intersections. This task also fell to Stanislav Hubička, and while the Karlov side features mainly parkland (1978), the Pankrác side is dominated by the cascades of publicly accessible viewing terraces directly connected to the outdoor atria of the metro station set into the bridge head (1966, 1970—1974). Hubička maximised the potential of the site, where the metro emerges at one of the highest points in Prague, and designed the station as a glass gallery with panoramic views of the historic centre. Several artworks by Miloslav Chlupáč, Eva Kmentová and Olbram Zoubek were intended to enhance the celebratory atmosphere, but with the onset of normalisation, Stanislav Kolíbal’s concrete retaining wall was the only feature realised from the original plan. +7 photos view Stanislav Hubička (1930—2018) Stanislav Hubička graduated from the Faculty of Architecture and Civil Engineering at the Czech Technical University in Prague (1952). He worked at the Regional Design Institute in Prague (1954—1959), the Prague Design Institute (1959—1966) and the Institute for Transport and Engineering Structures (1966—1991). In 1991, he founded his own studio, Archex. In 2011, he received the Grand Prix of Architects Award for Lifetime Achievement. Excerpted from the book Architecture 58–89 Publication concept, editor, author of discussions: Vladimir 518 Nusle Bridge, view on Karlov