The department store Máj in Prague will open to the public on Monday, June 24

Prague - The reconstructed department store Máj in Prague, which builders began renovating in July two years ago, will open to the public on Monday, June 24. This was announced to ČTK by media representative Michaela Fialová Rozšafná. The shopping center will be introduced to journalists and professionals on Thursday, June 20. The reconstruction is overseen by the construction company Metrostav, and the state has about four billion crowns allocated for it. In addition to stores, visitors can look forward to a gallery, entertainment and educational space, as well as a café with a view.

People in the new Máj will be able to shop at Tesco supermarket, pharmacies, and drugstores. They will also find cafés, cosmetics, ice cream, and a wine store. The third and fourth floors will feature a multifunctional entertainment space aimed at children over 12, the fifth floor will serve parents with small children, and the sixth floor will focus on schools and kindergartens, dedicating itself to the history of Prague. Final work on the shopping center is currently being completed.

The company collaborated with the original authors, architects Martin Rajniš and John Eisler, on the renovation design of Máj. According to earlier information, the project also took into account suggestions from other experts in heritage care and urbanism.

The façade of the building will be adorned with an artistic work by sculptor David Černý - two multi-meter moving sculptures of butterflies, whose bodies will be replicas of Spitfire fighter planes. The work is intended to be a tribute to Czechoslovak pilots fighting in World War II. The civil association Club for Old Prague disapproves of its placement, claiming it is typical kitsch.

The department store at the corner of Spálená Street and Národní Avenue was built on the site of the neo-Gothic Šlik Palace according to the design of Miroslav Masák, John Eisler, and Martin Rajniš from the Liberec studio SIAL, which was founded in 1968 by the author of the Ještěd transmitter, Karel Hubáček. Máj opened to customers on April 21, 1975. In 2006, the Ministry of Culture declared the building a cultural monument.