Náplavka cubicles handed over to occupants, should open to the public in November

The cubicles at Prague’s Náplavka have been finished and turned over to the people who will start operating them in November. The new spaces will help with overcrowding on the waterfront, as it will give people a places to go inside of, rather than all crowding on the pavement.

In total there are 20 renovated cubicles along the waterfront on the Rašínovo nábřeží on the New Town side of the Vltava river and Hořejší nábřeží on the Smíchov side. The cubicles are actually horseshoe-shaped prisms, originally designed for storage.

The
design for the new look of the Prague waterfront is architect Petr
Janda and the Brainwork studio.

The cubicles will
soon become three galleries, three studios, two workshops, a branch
of the Municipal Library, and several cafes. Three new toilets will
be available free of charge.

The Municipal
Library branch will be focused on doing it yourself (DIY) with books
on building and repairing, as well as some woodworking equipment and
a 3D printer. It is the first of kind in the Czech Republic.

Another cubicle will
be Repair cafe, which will have sewing machines and carpentry tools.
People will be able to make wooden toys, for example. There will also
be lessons.

Bajkazyl and the
Avoid Gallery used to occupy some of the spaces before the
renovation, and will now use the new locations. Bajkazyl is a bike
repair shop and cafe, and Avoid Gallery is an art space.

Work on renovating
the cubicles began last year, though the entire project for
revitalizing the waterfront has taken a decade. It required four
different administrative procedures in two city districts. Aside from
the cubicles, new infrastructure was put in place, as well as new
benches and trash receptacles.