Tesco is planning a extensive renovation of the department store on Národní in Prague

PRAGUE - The company Tesco Stores ČR is preparing a major renovation of its department store on Národní Street in Prague 1. This was stated today by the spokesperson of the retail chain, Vesselin Barliev. In fact, a request regarding the intention to demolish this building has even been submitted to the local city hall.
"The reasoning is that it is an outdated building," said Mayor Vladimír Vihan (ODS). The request was reportedly delivered to the city hall by the design office representing Tesco. According to the intention, a new multipurpose facility is to be constructed there, said Filip Dvořák (ODS), chairman of the city hall's urban development committee.
However, Barliev denied the speculations about a possible demolition of the building. "This is clearly a misunderstanding or misinterpretation. We do not intend to demolish or destroy the building in any way; on the contrary, we are considering its reconstruction and modernization in the long term," he emphasized.
The renovation may also involve the exterior façade of the building, Barliev stated. Regular operations are to be maintained, he added.
The urban development committee will address the request from the design office at the end of February. "It is essential that this intention is presented along with a proposal for a specific structure that would replace the current building," said Dvořák. There must not be an empty lot left on the site, which would disfigure the city, he added.
The Máj department store, now Tesco, was completed in 1975. The building was designed by architects Miroslav Masák, John Eisler, and Martin Rajniš on the site of the neo-Gothic Šlik Palace.