<div>First tenants are moving into the repaired object of the former Ostravice-Textilie.</div>

Ostrava - In the center of Ostrava, the former department store Ostravica-Textilia is beginning to come back to life after nearly a quarter of a century. The building deteriorated for years after partially collapsing during full operation in 2000 due to poorly executed construction interventions. After more than two years of reconstruction, the first tenants are starting to move in, with some work in the interior still to be completed according to the demands of future users. The object, now under the new brand Boutique Business Incubator Ostravica (BBiO), will provide space for creators, creatives, and startups. Project leader Daniel Zeman said this to journalists today.

On an area of more than 6,000 square meters, there will be offices, meeting rooms, as well as a café, a club, and spaces for cultural events. The public will be able to view the building during guided tours in the second half of June.

"We dreamed of creating a workspace that only the largest and richest corporations can usually afford. Together with architects, we drew inspiration from the best in London, Berlin, and Madrid. The difference being that we are not primarily targeting large corporations but a strong community that we call the BBiO clan. Whether they are individuals, smaller, or medium-sized companies. We are here primarily for creatives, audiovisual content creators, marketers, developers, and other professions. The concept also includes a business incubator, so we welcome startups and anyone with good ideas who needs support and top-notch technology," Zeman stated.

According to him, the building should primarily serve young people, the current generation of twenty-somethings and thirty-somethings. Ostravica will also offer residents technical support. Meeting rooms will be equipped with multi-touch LCD panels, and there will also be a recording and podcast studio as well as rehearsal spaces.

"A wide range of services will contribute to the comfort of tenants. A food market with a selection of gastro specialties will be created on the ground floor. A café with outdoor seating will be located in the area adjacent to Dr. E. Beneš Square. Both facilities will begin operating in the autumn and will be accessible not only to residents but also to the public. The ability to order anything from coffee to dessert to a main meal directly from the table and have it delivered straight to the office or to a meeting in the conference room is another advantage that Boutique Ostravica offers," Zeman added. The building will also host workshops, conferences, and other cultural events.

The reconstruction of the building began in April 2022. The construction costs were 262.5 million crowns. The complex of the former fashion house Ostravica-Textilia consists of three buildings designed by different architects, which were gradually interconnected. The centerpiece of the entire complex was primarily the corner building with a central staircase in the interior, which has been preserved. The building now also features a roof extension and floor-to-ceiling glass windows. Modern elements on the roof and in the ground floor are connected by a façade adorned with historical stucco, referencing the original form from the 1930s.