The technicians explored the hidden room in the basement of the repaired Bredy

Opava - Technicians inspected an unknown room using an inspection camera, which they discovered some time ago in the basement of the renovated department store Breda in Opava. The footage confirmed that it is clogged with mud and debris. The city council will have it cleaned. Roman Konečný, the city spokesman, stated this to ČTK today. When it opened in 1928, Breda was the largest department store in the country.

The investigation of the basement, prompted by the need to secure the building against groundwater, led to a discovery a few weeks ago that surprised even experienced builders. The room is located in the lowest part of the building, on the second underground level, directly beneath the historic staircase that was accidentally discovered in 2024. Currently, this space is accessible only through a small opening in the wall.

Through this hole, people looked into the depths of history for the first time in decades. "The room is buried under mud and debris, and it remains a big question what all is hidden inside. To even look in there, we had to use a small inspection camera on a telescopic pole," said Mayor Tomáš Navrátil (ANO). According to him, the footage from the camera confirmed that it is a space filled with sediments and construction material that seems to have frozen in time. "We thought we knew this building very well, yet we stumbled upon something much older than the building itself. We definitely want to get inside and see what surprises await us there," he added.

This is not the first surprising find at Breda. Two years ago, technicians discovered a historic staircase that had been walled up for decades within the building. This staircase belonged to the original department store and led to a basement shop.

Building manager Marek Zygula stated that the current Breda was built on the site of three houses. "The nine and the eight were brought down; the eleven was the only one that remained, and its footprint is still described in the current building," he said. The reason was that businessman David Weinstein did not want to interrupt business during the construction from 1927 to 1928. The original department store continued to sell right up until the last moment, while the modern structure of the current building was rising above and around it.

While historians wait for the newly discovered spaces to be cleaned of mud and water deposits, the renovation of the rest of the building is in full swing. Currently, the second phase of the unique dome's restoration, costing nearly 20 million crowns, is underway. This includes both the technical securing of the structure and a very sensitive restoration of historical details. A new barrier-free multifunctional space on the ground floor of the building is also nearing completion, which, even before the construction is finished, will offer a hall for 200 people with complete technical facilities. It will be intended for cultural, social, and corporate events. The opening is planned for June.

When it opened in 1928, Breda was the largest department store in the country. The building had deteriorated over the last decade. The cultural monument, which belonged to the bankrupt company of entrepreneur Kamil Kolka, was acquired by the city in 2022 for 39.5 million crowns. The total projected costs for its reconstruction had originally been around 300 million crowns years ago, but are now 200 million higher. The annual operation of the building with 10,000 square meters is expected to cost about 17.7 million crowns.

After the renovation, the building is expected to offer a market, a restaurant, a café, and rental spaces. Architects are also planning to create a square in front of the building. The transformation of Breda involves the Brussels studio OFFICE Kersten Geers David Van Severen, the Brno studio GRAM, and the Slovak collective Spolka. The architects aim to restore Breda's original glory and open up the space to the public.