Opava will announce an architectural competition, seeking further use for the deteriorating Breda

Opava - The Opava city hall will announce an international architectural competition in the coming days, from which a new way to utilize the heritage-protected building of the former department store Breda in Opava is expected to emerge. The city bought the iconic building designed by architect Leopold Bauer last year, and applicants can submit their competition proposals until April. The reconstruction is expected to be completed in 2026. Martin Kůs from the city's press department informed ČTK today. When it opened in 1928, it was the largest department store in the country.

"The Opava city council today approved the documentation for the public procurement for the reconstruction and revitalization of the Breda department store. At the same time, both parts of the commission were established, which will ultimately decide the future of the former Opava department store," Kůs stated.

The members of the commission will be dependent and independent in relation to the city as the owner of the building and the announcer of the proceedings. Among the dependent members will be, for example, the mayor Tomáš Navrátil (ANO), other councilors, and the chief architect of the city hall, Petr Stanjura. The independent part of the commission will consist of professor and urban planner Gabu Heindlová from the Viennese studio Gabu Heindl Architektur and other architects Jan de Vylder, Jindřich Vybíral, Jana Zdráhalová, and Boris Redčenkov.

"I am personally glad that we have found mutual agreement today and managed to approve not only the tender documentation for the selection procedure but also both commissions, its dependent and independent professional parts. I believe that the prestigious names of the commission members will guarantee that the city of Opava will obtain the most suitable possible solution for the use of the former Breda department store," Navrátil stated.

In the coming days, a thirty-day period for submitting applications for participation in the competitive dialogue will begin. This will have several phases, during which the city can negotiate with the participants of the procurement procedure independently. "In the first part, a joint working meeting will take place with a tour of the OD Breda premises; the second part, including a presentation of the developed proposals, is scheduled for early March 2024. Following that, the city will expect final proposals, which it should receive by April 26, 2024," Kůs stated.

The city aims to obtain the completed winning architectural design, the preparation of comprehensive project documentation, and author supervision according to the specified specifications through this process. The completion of the entire reconstruction is anticipated in 2026.

Last year, the city purchased the 1928 building for nearly 40 million crowns. It has already begun rescue work, with the roof being repaired, as water had been leaking into the building. This year, the replacement of 150 windows will begin, followed by the facade restoration. Experts, including heritage conservationists, had long debated whether to refurbish the original windows or to produce replicas. Ultimately, they decided on replicas. The reason was not only cost; the company was unable to guarantee the functionality of the windows in the case of repairs.

At the time of its opening in 1928, Breda was the largest department store in the country. The building from 1927, which was created by reconstructing the original department store, has been deteriorating for a long time. The cultural monument, which belonged to the bankrupt company of entrepreneur Kamil Kolka, was acquired by the city for 39.5 million crowns. The total reconstruction costs were estimated years ago to be around 300 million crowns, but are now 200 million higher. The annual operating costs of the building with 10,000 square meters is expected to be about 17.7 million crowns.