As a key railway hub in the Czech Republic, the renovation and upgrade of Ostrava Main Train Station have always been a core focus of the city’s development.  According to public information released by the Ostrava government in 2022, the station’s role as a transport hub is set to grow even further with the planned construction of a high-speed railway line and the full modernization of the station itself. To align with these projects and enhance passenger experience, the local government plans a large-scale upgrade of the public space in the station’s forecourt area. This plan is the result of nearly 15 years of research into the area’s renovation. A previous proposal to build a transport museum here was abandoned due to inadequate building conditions. This paved the way for a new research and planning initiative for the forecourt.

In autumn 2024, Ostrava launched its first public tender for the renovation of the Main Train Station forecourt, which ultimately failed to attract a successful bidder. The tender was reissued in January 2025, and CASUA, an OBEBERMEYER Group company, emerged as the winner from four bidders, being tasked with creating a conceptual design for the forecourt area of Ostrava Main Train Station. The team designed a solution that balances functionality and aesthetics, while respecting the station’s historic architecture and meeting the demands of modern mobility.

The design is centered around the development of a multimodal transport hub, which will restructure the flow of movement in the forecourt area and enable seamless connections between pedestrians, cyclists, motor vehicles and public transport. It shortens the route to the platforms, ensuring full accessibility for everyone. The design preserves the station’s main building, which is a fine example of 1960s Brussels-style architecture, as well as its entrance canopy. A new glass vestibule and transparent roof will be constructed to blend the historic structure with the new space, creating a visually light architectural expression. The addition of greenery, water features and art facilities will transform the forecourt from a purely functional transport space into a vibrant, clear urban foyer. This boosts passenger comfort and leaves ample room for the area to develop in line with the wider urban context.

To present the research results, the team used VR technology to showcase every detail of the project, enabling all clients to experience the spatial scale and connections of the design in an immersive way.

• Future Implementation Plan

According to archiweb.cz, a leading Czech architecture platform, the City of Ostrava plans to begin renovating the forecourt in 2028, alongside the modernization project for the railway hub, which is scheduled for completion in 2034. The entire forecourt renovation is expected to finish in 2031.

OBERMEYER has signed an agreement with the local government to develop the project documentation. A draft is expected to be completed by 2026. A contractor will be appointed, and construction permits will be obtained in 2027. OBERMEYER is currently working with other local design consulting teams to finalize the design. 

The project is funded through a combination of municipal funds, investments from Czech Railways, and EU grants. The modernization of the railway hub alone will cost over 25 billion Czech koruna (approximately 820 million RMB), with the forecourt renovation expected to amount to billions of Czech korunas.

The renovation of the forecourt at Ostrava Main Train Station is a major initiative aimed at enhancing local transport developments and renewing urban space. OBERMEYER is bringing its professional design expertise and integrated approach to this urban transport space renewal project, creating a design that combines aesthetics, functionality and urban humanistic values. In the future, this space will become a new benchmark for the integration of transport and urban development in Central Europe!