Opava will unveil plans for the reconstruction of the iconic Breda department store

Opava - An architectural study for the reconstruction of the protected historic building of the former department store Breda in Opava should be completed this year. The city additionally wants to introduce the public to the initial project concept in April. It will also present the international team of architects working on the restoration of the monument. Anna Křempková from the city's press department told CTK today. The main goal of the project is to return the building designed by architect Leopold Bauer back into the social, cultural, and urban life of Opava.

The team working on the transformation of Breda will introduce themselves to the public. A public presentation of the reconstruction concept and the intended future use of the building will take place on April 24 at the former department store Breda. Due to limited capacity, tickets will be available for pickup at the Opava Tourist Information Center starting April 7. Interested parties can obtain them for free. There will be a hundred available.

"It will be an opportunity to meet with the team of architects and experts from the Brussels studio OFFICE Kersten Geers David Van Severen, the Brno studio GRAM, and the Slovak collective Spolka, who are working together on the transformation of Breda," said Jana Foltysová, head of the mayor's office. According to her, interested parties will receive information about the reconstruction concept itself, as well as about the vision of what Breda should become. The architects' proposal includes significant construction modifications and, for example, making the roof accessible, where there is a view of Opava.

The city of Opava previously signed a contract with the team of architects. In the coming months, more detailed technical analyses and discussions about the future functioning of the building will take place. "If everything goes according to plan, the architectural study should be completed by the end of 2025," said the chief architect of the city, Petr Stanjura.

At the time of its opening in 1928, Breda was the largest department store in the republic. The building, constructed in 1927, arose from the reconstruction of the original department store and had long fallen into disrepair. The cultural monument, which belonged to the bankrupt firm of entrepreneur Kamil Kolko, was acquired by the city in 2022 for 39.5 million crowns. The total reconstruction costs were originally estimated to be around 300 million crowns, but are now 200 million higher. The annual operating costs of the building with 10,000 square meters are expected to be about 17.7 million crowns.