The famous fashion house in Ostrava will probably not return to its original form

Ostrava - The renowned fashion house Ostravica Textilia in the center of Ostrava is unlikely to return to its original form. Once famous and the most luxurious department store in the regional city, it has been deteriorating for years. According to the chief architect of the city of Ostrava, Cyril Vltavský, it is highly probable that one of the three buildings that made up the department store will ultimately be demolished. The fate of the other two buildings is still unclear.
    "I assume that if those buildings are to respond to current living conditions, if they are to be revived, if they are to be saved at least to the extent we consider necessary, they certainly must undergo some changes," Vltavský stated.
    The corner building at the intersection of Nádražní and 28. října streets is primarily threatened by demolition, as it is the only one of the three buildings that is not listed as a historical monument, according to Vltavský. "The building is in a terrible static condition. There is a risk of collapse. We know that there are static surveys indicating in what condition that building is, and in fact, demolition cannot be ruled out," he noted.
    The other two buildings are protected as historical monuments. The company Amádeus Real, which previously purchased the former department store, applied to the Ministry of Culture last year for the exclusion of the oldest part of the block of houses from the Central List of Cultural Monuments.
    Vltavský told reporters today that the chief architect's office disagrees with this proposal. However, he added that he considers the preservation of the facade to be the most important and would agree to interventions in the internal layout of the building. "The floors are in such a dilapidated state that their reconstruction can only help that building," Vltavský believes. According to him, officials hope that the ministry's decision could ultimately permit such a compromise.
    According to the architect, this solution would give at least some chance for the salvation of the building. It is not excluded that if the building continues to deteriorate, it could eventually reach a state where it would have to be demolished. "The middle building should remain as it is, including the facades and interiors," Vltavský noted.
    A few years ago, Amádeus Real also bought from the city the land on Dr. Edvard Beneš Square, which directly adjoins the former department store. They plan to build a new shopping center on it, which is intended to connect with the old buildings. According to Vltavský, the territorial proceedings for the new building should start by mid this year, which must precede the application for a building permit. The department store has been closed since 2000 when ceilings collapsed in part of it due to unprofessional construction work.