The former Orionka tram depot will be taken over by the city company Technology of the Capital City

Prague – The former tram depot Orionka in Prague's Vinohrady will be taken over by the municipal company Technology of the Capital City of Prague (THMP), which will ensure its planned transformation into a cultural and community center. An outdoor area will feature a so-called re-use center for the further use of older items. The plan for the utilization of the site was approved today by Prague's councilors. The city purchased the former depot from the transport company (DPP) in 2024 for 189.8 million crowns excluding VAT.

Orionka is a former depot for trams and trolleybuses, consisting of several plots and buildings. The main building contains three industrial halls, and there is also an office building on the premises, along with a residential building heated by a gas boiler. The area also includes warehouses, a gatehouse, as well as canopies and a ramp for washing vehicles.

THMP will prepare a revitalization concept for the site based on the councilors' directive, where in the future a center with cultural and musical facilities, sports usage, community activities or projects focused on sustainability and circular economy should be established. Based on the provided materials, the city leadership will decide in the future on the form of the transformation.

According to Jiří Sulženka, the director of the cultural department of the magistrate, the center could focus on music. "The idea of a facility is emerging that will enable collaboration in the widest spectrum of film music. Prague is a place where talent concentrates, invests in the Vltava Philharmonic, and, together with orchestras and festivals, is an important center of the music world. However, a place where music can be composed and recorded, connecting talented people with personalities admired by the whole world, is missing in Prague," he said.

He added that a symphony orchestra could fit in Orionka, and it could be a place for creating film and series music, music for computer games, or podcasts. According to THMP Director Tomáš Jílek, the future facilities in Orionka could be used by the municipal company for creating content for the city information channel, which it operates on certain digital advertising spaces. "We would also be one of the tenants," he said.

Before the reconstruction, the outdoor sections of the area should be opened to the public during the summer months. One of the first projects is scheduled to be the re-use center, where it will be possible to leave or take used but still functional items.

The municipal company THMP was established in 2018 for the management of public lighting, and now also provides other services for the capital city.