Close to Brno's Vaňkovka, the Trnitá Palace will be built

Brno - The neglected area near the Vaňkovka shopping center in the center of Brno is set to be transformed into a new urban district. The company Jižní centrum Brno, which belongs to the city and owns a large portion of the land in the area, has signed a contract with the first investor. The company plans to build a multifunctional facility on Trnitá Street with approximately 160 apartments and several floors of shops. The project was presented to journalists today by the head of Jižní centrum Brno Jan Zavřel and the chairwoman of the city council's finance committee Naděžda Křemečková (ČSSD).
     The investor is the company Europark - FP, which has a Slovak owner. The German development company ECE, which built the Vaňkovka shopping center, also applied for the tender for the revitalization of approximately 6900 square meters. However, according to Zavřel, the company came up with a project mainly focused on parking in the area. The selection committee preferred the residential project.
     "We emphasize that Jižní centrum should not become an office ghetto that empties out after working hours," he stated. According to him, the Slovak project aligns with this idea, as the residential area occupies more space in the proposal than the shops. The apartments, most of which are to have a balcony, terrace, or rooftop garden, will cover an area of 11,500 square meters. Shops will take up 8000 square meters. There are plans for 400 parking spaces in three underground floors. Part of the building will also include an exhibition hall. A park covering 2000 square meters will be created in the inner courtyard of the square building.
     The company is expected to start operations in the area later this year. This year, according to Zavřel, it is expected to obtain a demolition permit for the former administrative building of the Mír housing cooperative and start demolition work. It should also handle the project for zoning approval and building permit. The new building, named Palác Trnitá, is expected to be completed in 2014. The investor has committed to constructing a road that will connect Trnitá Street with the planned landmark of the emerging Jižní centrum, known as the Boulevard.
     According to Zavřel, the design of Palác Trnitá was inspired by Brno's multifunctional buildings from the interwar period, such as the Palác Morava on Divadelní Street and the Alfa passage at the intersection of Poštovská and Jánská, based on the concept of Bohuslav Fuchs. "The investor sees it as a spark for the urban development of this area," Zavřel said regarding the forthcoming construction.