The demolition of the former Prior in Brno continues, the terrace leading to Vaňkovka will be closed

prior

Brno - The demolition of the former department store Prior near the main railway station in Brno continues with the removal of the main building. It is expected to be completed by the end of April. The pedestrian bridge to the Vaňkovka shopping gallery remains operational, and new escalators and stairs will start functioning in early March, said the spokesman for the development company Crestyl, Ondřej Micka, to ČTK. By 2027, six new buildings will be constructed on the site of the brutalist building and the surrounding land.

"As the demolition progresses, it can be clearly seen by passersby, and work on the bridge to the shopping gallery continues. The new stairs and escalators have been approved and will be put into operation in the first week of March. At the same time, we will close the passage through the terrace of the old Dornych building so that it can also be removed as part of the ongoing demolitions," Micka said.

People walking from the railway station to the Vaňkovka Gallery will have to use the designated pedestrian route along Dornych and Úzká streets after the passage is closed, from where they can access the bridge to the shopping center. The bridge will remain in operation throughout the demolition work and subsequent construction.

In the area next to the main railway station, a partially covered public space and six buildings are to be constructed by 2027, with the tallest having eight floors. There will also be a connection to the underpass under the main station and a bridge over Úzká street. The new buildings will include 186 rental apartments, complemented by 26,000 square meters of office space and 27,000 square meters designated for retail.

The former Prior building is one of the last representatives of the architectural style of brutalism in Brno. It was completed in 1984 and is a fragment of the original, much more extensive project that was intended for the entire area south of the Grand bus station and anticipated the relocation of the main railway station. It was supposed to create a large regional center with two department stores and a commercial and service building with 22 floors. The project began in the 1960s, but after the occupation of Czechoslovakia by Warsaw Pact troops in 1968, it was delayed, and only a more modest variant was created, resulting in the construction of just the OD Prior.