Ostrava is preparing an architectural competition for the design of the Transport World project

Ostrava is preparing an architectural competition for the design of the Transport World project, which is estimated to cost around one billion crowns, to be created in part of the former dispatcher building of the Vítkovice railway station and its surroundings. In a few weeks, the city will present the results of the conceptual competition. This was stated today by the chairman of the supervisory board of the Ostrava Transport Company (DPO) and city councilor Lukáš Semerák (Ostravak).
If everything goes well, according to him, the Transport World could open in 2030. Its foundation will be a collection of DPO, which already includes 55 historical vehicles.

The listed building of the Vítkovice train station has been under renovation by the Railway Administration for two years. "We utilized the fact that the state, or rather the Railway Administration, has that building vacant. Only in one part did it place an employment office, and the rest had no use. Our ambition is to breathe a kind of second life into the building," said Semerák.

According to him, the Transport World continues the idea of a transport museum, which the city originally wanted to build near the main train station. "We call it the Transport World because we want to not only make the exhibits accessible but also show the history of transport in the city to all generations, in a form that will entertain people," said Semerák.

He expects that the results of the conceptual competition for the Transport World design will be confirmed by the city council in a few weeks. "The proposal is very interesting, it is very dynamic and meets what we expected from it, that it will be attractive especially for the younger generation," said the councilor.

In building the exhibition, it will be necessary to meet the requirements of conservators; for example, the ticket offices and balcony must remain preserved in the hall. "We will handle this as sensitively as possible. And in the course of the constructions, we will primarily work with the space in front of the dispatcher's building. However, the exact design and placement of the exhibits are the subject of the architectural competition," said Semerák.

According to him, the competition should be able to be announced in September. "Sometime in September 2027, we could then have a comprehensive idea not only of what the Transport World will look like but also how it will be operated," said Semerák.

In the following year, according to him, the city could obtain a building permit. "The usual construction takes about two years. So I believe that 2030 could be the year when the Transport World opens and becomes accessible to people," said the councilor.

He stated that DPO currently has enough exhibits from its collection outside the city because Ostrava does not have a place to store them, let alone present them. The general director and chairman of the board of DPO, Daniel Morys, expressed hope that soon the entire collection will find its home in the Transport World and create a new attraction for tourists.

"The history of the transport company, which has been ongoing, and we recently celebrated 125 years, is of course connected with modern Ostrava. Ostrava as such is much older, but when we consider how the individual city districts were formed, urban public transport also developed, so the history is largely very common. I believe it will be beautifully meaningful to showcase our entire historical vehicle fleet against the backdrop of modern Ostrava's development," said Morys.