Prague City Hall introduces new wayfinding system
Currently, the city of Prague’s signaling system is overseen by eight different entities, making it difficult for people, especially tourists, to navigate. Different systems are used for the metro, buses and trams and the information signs on the streets also vary from district to district.
To make it easier for people to move around the city, Prague city councilors have now introduced a new, uniform and user-friendly wayfinding system, called Legible Prague.
The system was designed by a Czech team consisting of graphic studio Side2, architectural studio A69 and typographic studio Superior Type, which were selected in an international competition organized by the city’s transport planning organization. Ropid last year.
Their new orientation system is based on simplicity, using a shapeless letter on a dark, mostly black background. While drawing inspiration from the current system created in the 1970s and 80s, it is updated with modern technology, graphics and design.
Ropid director Petr Tomčík describes what this will entail:
“Navigation panels, information panels highlighting the most important information, departure panels, real-time information on when the transport will depart, in exactly how many minutes.”
For the first test phase, the city’s transport planning body selected two metro stations:
“We are considering the stations of Háje and Palmovka, then Holešovice, which are interconnected with rail transport. We also plan to carry out public inquiries. The system is not yet finalized, as we want to adapt it to individual needs.
The new system will also place more emphasis on pedestrian routes and the flow of people in the city. That’s why new elements have to appear on the streets, says Tomáš Machek, director of the award-winning graphic studio Side2:
“There are expected to be up to 800 obelisks, with large-scale maps installed in the streets of Prague. There will also be pedestrian signs that will guide people to local destinations. The last element is a totem, which will indicate the metro stations.
The city will start testing the pedestrian information system from the summer, says Adam Scheinherr, transport assistant of the Praha Sobě group.
“There will be a marked pedestrian route from the Old Town Square through Letná Square to the fairgrounds, where there will be a pedestrian navigation system.
“There will also be a navigation system near Holešovice station, directing people to the bus stop, metro station and train station.”
Based on feedback from Prague residents, the city will then prepare the final shape of the new city navigation system. From next year, it will begin to install the elements in the streets and public transport of the city.
