At the Můstek station on Prague Metro’s green Line A, an intelligent low-maintenance installation filled with plants has
been created by researchers from the University Centre for Energy Efficient Buildings (UCEEB) of the Czech Technical University
in Prague (CTU). With the support of the Prague Public Transit Company, this innovative element of urban furniture aims to
test the viability of projects designed to improve indoor environmental quality in the challenging spaces of the Prague metro
system.
A piece of nature in the metro as an oasis in the rush of everyday life. The plant installation brings a touch of nature
into the otherwise anonymous industrial environment, evoking nature as the natural human habitat. In addition, introducing
plants into the metro offers an opportunity to apply the proven effects of greenery on people’s mood, cognitive functions,
and overall mental well-being.
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Beyond its distinctive design, METROROST also stands out for its advanced construction and technological sophistication. When
building the installation, the research team from UCEEB CTU drew on several years of experience testing the integration of
plants into interior building elements to enhance indoor environmental quality. Thanks to this expertise, the plants and the
installation as a whole are designed to survive in one of the most inhospitable environments that public spaces can offer.
The plants are maintained by an intelligent monitoring and control system. Sensors placed throughout the installation deliver
dozens of measurements to its “brain”. This enables researchers from UCEEB CTU to gradually optimize the control algorithms
that regulate the planter and ensure suitable conditions for plant growth. The system manages optimal irrigation by controlling
soil and air humidity. Energy for photosynthesis is provided by broad-spectrum (pro-cognitive) artificial lighting supplied
by the partner company Spectrasol. METROROST can also address the problem of freezing weather during winter months. Based
on measured temperatures, it responds to critical situations by increasing the air temperature both around the above-ground
parts of the plants and within the substrate and lower parts of the vegetation. It also monitors CO₂ levels both inside
and outside the installation.
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The structural solution was based on a 3D mechanical design of construction elements made from panels and connecting polyhedral
nodes produced from a wood-based material with reduced flammability. These components were manufactured using CNC machining
by the project partner, the Secondary Industrial School and Higher Vocational School in Volyně. This method not only ensures
the precision necessary to realize the geometrically complex shape, but also allows individual components of the structure
to be replaced in the event of extreme vandalism, while meeting safety requirements.
All of this aims to address a common challenge for green and other installations in public spaces – their maintenance.
One of the long-term goals of the METROROST project is therefore to monitor its sustainability. The UCEEB CTU team will track
the operational demands of the installation over time and use the collected data to evaluate the effectiveness of the design
and the deployed control algorithms. There are few better places to observe the impact of big-city dynamics than the surroundings
of Můstek station.
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