The reconstruction of the Prague department store Kotva begins, which opened 50 years ago

Prague - The Prague department store Kotva will begin reconstruction today, one year after its closure. This will symbolically happen on the 50th anniversary of its opening. The modernization of the building, designed by architects Vladimír and Věra Machonin, is expected to be completed in the last quarter of 2027. The owner is Generali Real Estate, and the renewal proposal was also collaborated on by Věra Machonin and her daughter Pavla Kordovská. Generali Real Estate announced this in a press release. Kotva has been closed since February 1 of last year. Since then, workers have been preparing the building for reconstruction, and the owner has been obtaining the necessary permits.

According to Generali, the reconstruction should modernize the interiors and expand the use of the building, which, according to the proposal, is to have six floors of shops and services and two floors of offices. The renovation plans include replacing the façade cladding to preserve the original shapes of the building, including the iconic brutalist concrete communication towers and hexagonal structures. The hexagonal honeycomb grid inspired by architectural structuralism is characteristic of Kotva.

"Kotva was not just a department store but also an example of bold and innovative architecture. Our aim is to restore the functionality of this space while preserving its aesthetic value and historical legacy," said Jana Vrábelová, head of project management for Central and Eastern Europe at Generali Real Estate.

Part of the project includes the renewal of the surrounding area. Vrábelová added that the complete approval process, including agreements from government agencies, was completed last July. In addition to the original designers, the project documentation for the revitalization was developed in cooperation with the heritage preservation department of the Prague City Hall and the National Heritage Institute.

Kotva was built as an example of a luxurious Czechoslovak department store. At the time of its opening, it was the fifth largest department store in Europe. It opened its doors to its first customers on February 10, 1975. The ceremonial moment was not missed by the then powers, with the ribbon being cut by the head of the Prague Communist Party organization, Antonín Kapek, assisted by the Minister of Trade. There was no place left for the authors, the Machonin couple, who were out of favor with the communist regime during the period of normalization.

The façade and the specific floor plan made up of hexagons allowed the Machonins to deal with the spatial limitations of the gap in the northern corner of Republic Square, surrounded by historical buildings, and to offer the largest possible sales area despite the relatively small plot. The construction work was done by the Swedish company Sial, which also built the nearby department store Máj.

Recently, Kotva has faced competition from more modern shopping centers. Its operation has been complicated in the past by disputes over shares, which became the subject of police investigations and court cases. In March 2005, Kotva was purchased by the Irish company Markland, which began renovations, but the plans were disrupted by the economic crisis. In 2016, it became the property of the Prague Property Management (PSN) of billionaire Václav Skala, from whom it was purchased by Generali Real Estate in 2020.