The former fashion house Ostravica-Textilia is awaiting reconstruction

Ostrava – Once a famous fashion house Ostravica-Textilia in the center of Ostrava is expected to undergo reconstruction after years of neglect. Repairs could begin at the start of next year. The reconstruction project has received building permission and a tender for construction and repair work has recently started. This was announced today to journalists by Jindřich Vaněk, who represents the owners of the building. A center for the creative industry is to be established on the site, complemented by gastronomic facilities, a music club, or a theater and conference hall. The opening is planned for mid-2023.

"I perceive Ostravica as a symbol of Ostrava, and I have deeply experienced its decline. Eight years ago, I signed a petition for its rescue. When the opportunity arose to acquire the building later on, a long process of its rescue began for me. Gradually, I started to independently finance the repairs of the buildings. I have already invested over 60 million crowns into the purchase, urgent remediation works, ensuring stability, and design work," said the project's main manager, Daniel Zeman. However, he stated that the most important task was to find consensus on a new attractive appearance and especially on a meaningful, sustainable function for the building. "In the end, this was successful, and as a result, we were able to convince other investors to join the rescue project and invest additional financial resources," he added.

The complex of the former Ostravica-Textilia fashion house consists of three buildings designed by different architects, which were gradually interconnected. The corner building with a central staircase in the interior was a symbol of the entire complex. The operation of the department store was definitively terminated in the 1990s. During the reconstruction in April 2000, after the demolition of load-bearing walls, two floors collapsed, and part of the roof fell in. Since then, the building has changed owners several times, and there have been several plans for its use. However, none of them were realized, and the buildings have been unused for over 20 years.

According to Vaněk, the costs for the reconstruction of the two buildings of the former department store should exceed 250 million crowns. The reconstruction of the third building, the former Commercial and Industrial Bank, will be addressed separately. "The owners' plan is to restore the former bank building to its original form and complement it with the construction of a new building in the gap on 28. října Street," Vaněk added. The visual appearance of the former fashion house, however, will undergo changes. "It was crucial to decide how to approach the reconstruction. Only part of the interiors has been preserved. The facades and the external appearance of all the buildings facing Nádražní Street were definitively destroyed by modifications in the 1970s," said the author of the reconstruction proposal, architect Martin Náhlovský.

The final proposal is, according to the architect, a modern modification of the facade that preserves and accentuates everything that remains original and sensitively covers areas that have been completely changed or entirely bricked up. Inside the buildings, on the other hand, everything that remains original is preserved or restored. "For example, we are returning to the glass roofing of the central space, so daylight will again fall on the well-known staircase as it did in the original building from the 1920s," Náhlovský added.

Approximately half of the reconstructed area will be intended for the public, including a central atrium with a historic staircase. A restaurant, café, and music club will be created in the basement. The top floor will also be freely accessible, where there will be a theater and conference hall. The second and third floors will become a center for the creative industry, housing laboratories, specialized studios equipped with 3D reality equipment, offices, and shared spaces such as meeting and lecture rooms.