Centrum Brewery Děčín

The construction of the Děčín Brewery shopping and cultural center is located in the area of the former brewery in Děčín Podmokly. The core of the building consists of a two-story commercial gallery with over 60 retail units with a rentable area of 17,500 m². The basic idea of the entire concept is based on the natural use and preservation of the original buildings in harmonious balance with the construction of new retail spaces and technical facilities. The two-story part of the new building utilizes the given terrain configuration – the Letná slope, and is cut into it so that the roof of the new building forms a continuation of the terrain and serves as a parking lot for 400 cars. Historical objects with many unique spaces and constructions have been reconstructed and prepared for accommodating both traditional and specific retail units – a restaurant with a microbrewery, a children's playground, halls for one-off events, a café, ...

The tension between the old and new is reflected in the simple connection of the northern and southern courtyards in the footprint of the original brewery courtyard. The modulation of the commercial gallery is subordinated to the effort for optical and physical connection of the interior with the intricate facade of the protected brewery's historical courtyard. The color concept develops the idea in its naturalness. The harmony of the reconstructed facades of historical buildings in pastel tones and the plain concrete of the new building with wooden and glass accents was meant to calm rather than surprise. The more extensively used black color unifies the background for the composition of advertisements. The combination of gray-white checkered flooring with accents of decorative tiles according to original patterns is perceived as a classic and proven aesthetic formula for public space.

Ecological aspects — The building uses water from the original brewery wells for the air conditioning system, which reduces the energy requirement for cooling by about 30%. Water from the wells is also used for flushing toilets and irrigation. The configuration relative to the terrain positively contributes to reducing the thermal losses of the building. During the reconstruction work, some original building materials, such as wooden elements, stone, masonry, etc., were reused.

Structural and construction solution — The new building is a two-story reinforced concrete monolithic structure, sunk on two sides to its full height into the slope. The underground parts are made of waterproof concrete. The basic module is 8x8 and 8x10m, and the structures are arranged such that there are minimal supports in the gallery; conversely, the gallery itself is connected by open galleries and generous skylights. The roof of the building serves as a parking lot; the roof's composition is inverted with a concrete traffic-bearing slab. As part of the construction, a new roundabout was created in front of the building, which significantly remodeled the terrain in the vicinity.
The reconstructed objects are generally brick, vaulted malt floors with wooden ceilings; newer parts are vaulted on cast-iron columns. The historical brewery buildings were constructed from the mid-19th century to the early 20th century and are thus a testament to the architecture of late classicism and the industrial era at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Great attention in the reconstructed part was paid to the remediation of the building substance and the rehabilitation of facades, including the roofing.

Gross floor area: 32,420 m²
Rentable area: 17,500 m²

Awards:
Best of Realty 2014 - shopping centers category
CIJ Awards Czech Republic 2014 - Best Shopping Center Development category
Building of the Year 2014 – nomination