Five Questions, One Project: Ondřej Králík on the Reconstruction of the Grand Department Store

The architecturally sensitive reconstruction by OVA returns the iconic building by Josef Gočár to its original spatial generosity and clear structural order. The project combines respect for the historic layer of the building with contemporary interventions that open it up to present-day urban life. The renewal was recognized at ThePrime Awards as Best Reconstruction Project. We asked five questions to Ondřej Králík, co-author of the design.

1. When you first entered the Grand before the reconstruction – what stayed with you the most and influenced your approach to the design?

I first visited the Grand around the year 2000, when we used to travel from Hradec to shop there – it was the first shopping centre in the region. I was seven years old at the time, so reconstruction was the last thing on my mind. When we began working on the design in 2019, what impressed us most was the strong structural order formed by the columns and beams of the original Grand Hotel, together with the former central hall where cultural events used to take place. In our proposal, we aimed to highlight this original structure as much as possible and reveal it to future visitors. I also clearly remember the cramped spaces that were everywhere in the department store before the reconstruction. In the new design, we wanted to work with more open and generous dimensions – widening and brightening the passages and the central space as much as possible, and thus restoring the Grand’s original scale.

2. How do you find the balance between respecting Gočár’s building and ensuring that the Grand functions as a lively space for present-day Pardubice?

I believe these two aspects are not in conflict. Gočár gave the building a clear order and spatial scheme. We build on this fundamental principle, revealing and complementing it in a way that offers visitors a vibrant, contemporary space with a touch of history. 3. Was there any part of the building that proved particularly challenging to restore from an architectural or technical perspective? The most complex task was the restoration of the grand central atrium, where cultural events used to take place. We wanted to return the original curved form of the galleries and open the space more fully towards the upper arched skylight. This required considerable effort, mainly because the design had to meet today’s standards for interior comfort and safety. For example, some ceiling sections had to be removed and replaced with a permeable grid to enable proper smoke ventilation in case of fire.

4. Is there a detail in the interior or architecture that might easily escape the attention of visitors, but is particularly meaningful to you?

It was very important to us that the new glass extension would not structurally interfere with the existing buildings of the Grand and the Kraus House. The entire structure is self-supporting and touches the neighbouring buildings only in the most minimal way, so that these valuable façades remain undisturbed. Inside, there are also many subtle references to Cubism and to the era of Josef Gočár’s greatest prominence – for example in the floor pattern or in the geometrically shaped grooves in the wood of the seating elements.

5. If you could recommend one thing visitors should notice first when entering the Grand – what would it be and why?

They definitely shouldn’t miss the original marble staircase. It once connected the main hall with the gallery and today serves as the entrance to the food court and the main vertical connection between the floors. As part of the reconstruction, we also designed the spatial articulation of the surrounding walls to highlight the load-bearing structure of the original building while at the same time creating an exhibition space.

More about the Grand can be found at www.grand-pardubice.cz.