We designed the reconstruction of the department store inspired by Gočár’s noble monumentality and playfulness in detail. Our modification of the Grand is the second in sequence, following the work of architects Drexler Vrbata from the late 1990s.
The design for the reconstruction of the historically valuable Grand building in Pardubice is based on contemporary requirements for modern shopping centers, while at the same time respecting the original high-quality architecture of Josef Gočár. This combination creates a distinctive environment with a specific character.
As part of the reconstruction, the main task was the overall unification and interconnection of three buildings – the Grand building, the Kraus House, and the multiplex cinema – which the client wished to combine into a single functioning whole.
This requirement resulted in the design of a new connecting glazed atrium – the heart of the shopping center – whose architecture is reduced to a minimum so as not to compete with the original valuable buildings to which it directly connects.
The interior of the shopping arcades highlights the qualities of the existing concrete structure and, through new flooring and lighting, evokes the atmosphere of the 1930s.
During the 1990s reconstruction of the building (Drexler–Vrbata), a commercial mezzanine level was inserted into the ground floor. The newly proposed solution removes this mezzanine and restores the clear height of the ground floor to its original dimension. As a result, the ground-floor spaces regain their original generous scale.
The main atrium, located on the site of the original hall, has been newly designed to evoke the original architecture of Gočár’s hall as closely as possible. The inserted mezzanine level has been removed. The rounded interior corners reference the form of the balcony of the original hall.
The glazed atrium facing Třída Míru becomes the new principal entrance to the shopping center environment. A new glazed hall is created in the space between the Kraus House, the Grand Palace, and the cinema building. The design of the hall was thoroughly discussed with representatives of the heritage preservation authorities. The hall is set back by three window axes of the Kraus House from Třída Míru. The front façade and roof of the glazed hall are designed to be as transparent as possible. Thanks to this solution, the façades of the original buildings are given maximum prominence—especially the side façade of the Kraus House and its entrance portal with the crowning tympanum.
A new escalator has been installed in the glazed hall, guiding visitors directly to the retail spaces on the second floor. The aim was to bring these retail areas closer to visitors coming from the street and to increase their attractiveness and occupancy.
The interior environment of the shopping center has been redesigned to achieve maximum interconnection of all retail spaces, as well as their integration with the cinema areas. Opening up and creating a continuous circulation loop through the glazed entrance hall significantly enhances the appeal of the shopping center’s interior environment.
The dialogue between old and new is a natural concept in the interior as well. The unifying leitmotif running throughout the building’s interior is the combination of dark-stained oak wood and lacquered metal. Dark wood—characteristic of Gočár (and of the entire First Republic period)—complemented by a distinctive metal accent, creates a pleasant and warm impression, in contrast to the exposed concrete walls of the original structure.
The second recurring principle is a play with geometric forms and surface articulation. Hexagons composed of rhombuses appear both in the arcade flooring and in the profiled acoustic wall cladding. These references to Josef Gočár’s Cubist period are expressed primarily in the details of the furniture and surfaces, so that the relationship between the original and the new architecture is reinforced without appearing disruptive within the overall composition.
