Construction technicians discovered a staircase approximately 100 years old in OD Breda

Opava - Construction technicians discovered an approximately 100-year-old staircase during the reconstruction of the former department store Breda in Opava. It belonged to the building of the former department store, which was remodeled in 1927 by architect and native of Krnov, Leopold Bauer. Roman Konečný, spokesman for the city, said this to ČTK. The iconic building of the famous architect was purchased by the city two years ago. At the time of its opening in 1928, it was the largest department store in the republic. Repair work on the building began last year.

Building manager Marek Zygula stated that the staircase was found accidentally while addressing groundwater seepage issues. At one point, the builders made a probe that revealed the cavity. The discovered steel staircase covered with parquet was part of the entrance to the home goods store located on the second underground floor of the former department store. That is about seven meters below the Republic Square.

According to Zygula, it was still functional at the time when the building was being showcased and the current Breda was being created. "In the end, however, the staircase was bricked up and sealed with a concrete ceiling," he said. He added that due to the heritage protection of the building, the staircase must be incorporated into the reconstruction project. This started in May last year and will cost around 300 million crowns in total.

The mayor of Opava, Tomáš Navrátil, told ČTK that the construction company has already replaced all the windows on two sides of the building. The façade has been completely renovated. "All interior spaces have been completely cleaned. A new water supply connection is also completed," he said. Currently, according to him, an architectural competition is underway for the use of Breda. Forty interested parties have applied to it. Five of them have advanced to the next round. The final design will be known on June 14.