During the reconstruction of the Zlín Prior, the non-original extensions have already disappeared

Zlín - During the reconstruction of the Zlín department store Prior, built in the Baťa era, the non-original extensions have already been removed. This was reported by Radovan Pilich, the managing director of Prior, to ČTK today. The restoration of the building should take a year, and it will serve as a hotel, restaurant, and office spaces.

The reconstruction of the building in the center of the regional city began in July. "At this moment, almost all necessary outdoor demolition work has been completed, during which non-original extensions and canopies were removed, and inside, old partitions and floors are being taken out. Work on the façade of the building is also beginning. These works, which will certainly be very interesting for the public, will be ongoing throughout August," said Pilich.

The building was designed by architect František Lydie Gahura in the spirit of Zlín functionalist architecture in 1932. In the 1950s, after insensitive construction interventions, particularly changes to window proportions, it lost its original appearance. After reconstruction, the building is expected to return to its former look.

The first two floors of the department store will house shops, services, and several gastronomic establishments. A supermarket on the ground floor will also be preserved.

Most of the building will be leased by the Zlín company HP Tronic, a leading domestic distributor and retailer of household appliances and electronics. It also operates a network of Euronics stores, online shops Kasa.cz and Hej.sk, and the group includes the company ETA and Resort Valachy in Velké Karlovice in the Vsetín region. The group has over 1,400 employees. It will move its administrative headquarters to the department store and establish a wellness hotel with a restaurant there.