Most selected the winner of the architectural competition for the renovation of the Prior department store

Most – Most has selected the winner of the architectural competition for the reconstruction of the Prior department store in the city center. A multiplex cinema will be created inside, and it will include smaller retail outlets and refreshments. The winner will develop a study and project documentation for approximately 50 million crowns, which could take about two years. The city hall will then announce a competition for the contractor. The cost of repairing the building from the 1970s is estimated at 650 million crowns. Mayor Marek Hrvol (ProMOST) told journalists this today.

The winning consortium of Czech and foreign partners will be presented by the city hall on April 24 directly at Prior. Until then, no visualization will be published. "We want people to come and listen to all the context," Hrvol stated. People will be able to view all five proposals from which the jury selected. A total of 20 participants entered the competition. The jury consisted of architects from various countries and representatives of the city hall.

According to Hrvol, the winning design convinced the jury particularly with its detailed technical execution. The design preserves the building in its current form. There are no extensions; it visually highlights the cube by inserting another one, according to the mayor. The flat roof can also be used for a small summer stage or bistro. The design also respects that locals are accustomed to passing through Prior when traversing the center. "Inside, a sort of street has emerged. There is also consideration for a smaller market, but the use of individual spaces has not yet been firmly established," Hrvol added.

The concrete building was created after the demolition of the old Most, which was decided by the then Czechoslovak government due to coal mining. At the same time, the neighboring cultural house Repre, made of reinforced concrete blocks, was being built. The city is renovating this building. Water leaks into Prior; the construction has been modified in various ways in the past, particularly the basement has been expanded. The city hall purchased the building for 62 million crowns in 2024.

Currently, there are several businesses operating in the building. They are set to remain there until the actual reconstruction begins. According to the mayor, the city will finance the costs from a loan that is currently being negotiated with the European Investment Bank. The winning project did not address parking spaces. Unlike other cities, Most has an adequate number of parking spaces in its center.