Department Store Zlín
The elegant Department Store designed by František Lýdia Gahura has become again, after its recent reconstruction, a place full of life. You will find shops, restaurants, bars, a gallery and a terrace with a view of the Bata Skyscraper. But it wasn't always like this.
When Bata opened the Department Store in the 1930s, it was a great glory. The unprecedented colossus with the first ever escalator in Czechoslovakia was a place where you could get everything. From a pin to a car. It was designed by the Bata architect František Lýdie Gahura. The six-storey building dominating the commercial part of the town was intentionally located in the immediate vicinity of the factory. Thus, the money earned in Bata's factories returned to the company through Bata's shops.
In the 1970s, the Department Store became Prior and carried the "70s" look all the way into the 21st century. Sheet metal cladding covered the original facade, and the space inside was divided into cubicles where you'd often find dubious shops. Downstairs you could go for a schnitzel with brown gravy and a shot of vodka, or you could get a tarot card reading at the toilets.
In July 2017, an extensive reconstruction of the Department Store began, which returned this typical functionalist architecture in the heart of Zlín to its unique original look and breathed new life into it.
In mid-2018, the Department Store was transformed into a modern and attractive place perfect for meetings over quality food and drinks in a comfortable environment of restaurants, bistros, cafés and cake shops. You can enjoy great food at Bistrotéka or Tom Restaurant (Sushi and Asian Cuisine), wine and beer at Budvarka. You can attend a Cooking class offering a variety of culinary courses led by Michelin-star chefs. Learn to bake divine tartlets or make irresistible pralines.
For shopping, you can head to the two-storey shopping arcade with its carefully selected assortment. Exotic massages and physiotherapy services are available at the Fyzio Garden specialist centre. Office space is located on the upper floors. Gallery Desítka, located on the top floor, offers premises for private events, brunches and a café which is open during exhibitions. And the view from the terrace is simply not to be missed.
Interesting facts
An interesting feature of the Department Store is its unusual windows. They give it an impression of height and grandeur. On the lower floors, shoppers were attracted by large shop windows which nowadays offer great views from cafés and bars. On the upper floors, where warehouses used to be, the windows are subtly narrowed, making the whole building appear slightly taller than it is.
Where next
- Explore the Labour Square (náměstí Práce) with the Market Hall, the Big Cinema and the Gahura Boulevard surrounding the Department Store.
- In summer, stop on the Gahura Boulevard and stretch out on the green grass between the pathways.
