On Thursday, 26 February, a workshop was held in a classroom of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, organized by members of the new leadership of CTU to familiarize themselves with the main wishes and comments of students regarding the Strahov dormitories. The workshop was opened by Rector Michal Pěchouček and moderated by Vice-Rector for Construction and Campuses Lenka Burgerová.

The workshop was the first of several steps preceding the announcement of an urban planning competition for the redevelopment of the Strahov dormitories. As Rector of CTU Michal Pěchouček noted in his opening remarks, what is now being planned will be built at a time when the current students will already be graduates and he himself will no longer be rector. Nevertheless, it will represent a legacy of the current university leadership for future generations. He also mentioned that a tram connection to Strahov should be established soon.

The workshop was moderated by Vice-Rector Lenka Burgerová, and Professor Jan Tywoniak from the Faculty of Civil Engineering delivered a presentation. The discussion also involved Vice-Rector Pavel Ripka, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture Dalibor Hlaváček, and Michal Vodička, Director of the Service Facilities Administration.

A guest speaker was Václav Vorlíček from the Prague City Hall, representing Deputy Mayor Petr Hlaváček. He confirmed that work on the tram line to Strahov is underway and that, if everything goes according to plan, construction could begin as early as this year. He also spoke about the city’s activities regarding the Strahov football stadium and confirmed the city’s interest in participating in the overall revitalization of the Strahov area.

Students pointed out the need for a sufficient number of parking spaces. There was also discussion about whether single or double rooms are preferable and what the minimum number of square meters per student should be. Various suggestions were made regarding facilities that should not be missing from the future campus, such as outdoor and indoor sports facilities, spaces for social and leisure activities, and a larger grocery store.

When asked whether a cafeteria is needed on campus at all, a debate arose. Some speakers argued that it is necessary, while others suggested that a café, which could also serve as a study space, would be more suitable. Other students called for significantly more comfortable conditions for independent cooking. One of the participants summarized this debate by saying: “The Rector was right — we must find compromises in everything.”

There was also a proposal to establish dormitory classrooms or a branch of the library. The issue of homelessness and a request for increased security on the premises were mentioned as well. In response to a suggestion to install new benches under the trees, another workshop participant expressed the wish that the architectural competition should also generally take landscaping into account.

At the conclusion of the more than two-hour workshop, Vice-Rector Burgerová described it as the first, but certainly not the last, step toward changes at the Strahov dormitories. In the near future, a website with a link to an interactive document should be created, where students will be able to submit their comments regarding the Strahov dormitories, as well as a survey allowing respondents to select individual proposals that emerged from the workshop.

Czech Technical University in Prague. (26 February 2026). Participatory workshop on the Strahov dormitories: The first step toward necessary changes. Aktualne.cvut.cz. https://aktualne.cvut.cz/stalo-se/20260226-participativni-workshop-na-tema-strahovskych-koleji-prvni-krok-k-potrebnym-zmenam

Couldn’t attend? Watch the recording of the event here.