In the center of H. Králové, a shopping center was created through reconstruction

Hradec Králové – The renovation of the former Tesco department store in the center of Hradec Králové and its connection to the neighboring shopping center Atrium has created a new shopping center. The reconstruction cost approximately 400 million crowns. Construction work began on March 1 last year and finished in September this year. Martin Nový, the investor and owner of the center, told ČTK. About another 100 million is being invested by tenants of the spaces in the center, who are finishing the areas at their own expense.

The new center in the city of one hundred thousand inhabitants will be named Atrium. "The most significant change is the construction of a neck between the OC Atrium and the former OD Tesco, where the main entrance was created. This has unified both buildings into one modern shopping center, thus creating a single department store," Nový said.

After the merger of the buildings, there is a retail space of about 20,500 m², which can accommodate up to 50 retail units. "Finding tenants during the pandemic is not easy, we have solved about half. We still lack, for example, a tenant for the restaurant on the second floor," Nový stated. "Some stores on the ground floor already opened on October 1. The general tenant, Tesco, which was the former owner of the building, is expected to start operations on Wednesday, October 21. It will have a grocery store on the ground floor," he added. The British retail chain sold the property to Nový in 2018.

Access to the renovated building will continue to be from 28th October Square and Dukelská Street. On the ground floor, besides Tesco groceries, there will also be a newsstand, stationery shop, flower shop, wine shop, or snack bar. Before the renovations, most of the ground floor area was occupied by a supermarket. The space for groceries has significantly decreased, and the remaining areas have been divided into retail units.

On the first floor, where customers will access via newly placed escalators, there will be, among other things, fast-food restaurants. On the second floor, where there was originally a cafeteria with a terrace, a restaurant is planned according to the plan. The remaining space on the second floor, which was used for storage, is utilized for retail spaces, and the final third floor will contain offices. The rooftop parking has been preserved. In the commercial complex, including the original Atrium, there will be about 300 parking spaces in total.

The renovated three-story building has mostly retained its external appearance. Until the early 1990s, it housed the first multi-purpose department store in Hradec Králové – Prior. In the early 1980s, with its 7,200 m² of sales and over 9,000 m² of usable space, it was one of the largest department stores in then Czechoslovakia.