In Opava, the dismantling of the chimney has begun, threatening the historic dome of Bredy with collapse

Opava - Today in Opava, the dismantling of the non-functioning chimney of the former department store Breda began. The chimney is in poor technical condition and poses a risk of collapse onto the neighboring glass dome, which is a dominant feature of the building designed by the famous architect and native of Krnov, Leopold Bauer. The work will take several weeks. Meanwhile, the city is preparing a project for the repair of the dome itself. The spokesperson for the city, Roman Konečný, informed ČTK about the progress of the work, which is costing 2.6 million crowns.

He added that today the workers from the selected company delivered protective materials to the roof, installed temporary safety railings, and made the first security modifications. They also began dismantling a part of the roof around the chimney and are preparing special elements for its stabilization.

"The chimney is about 100 years old and has not been used since the 1960s. Recently, significant cracks have appeared on it that could lead to its fall. And since the chimney is directly adjacent to the dome, which is currently being repaired, there is a risk that it could also endanger this part of the building and the construction workers who will be working in Breda," he stated.

The city has taken measures under which the construction company will dismantle half of the chimney, which is part of a monument-protected building. "And that will be done manually, brick by brick. The undamaged ones will be cleaned and stored for future use. The lower part of the chimney will then be reinforced with special metal bands. At the same time, an investigation will continue into what caused the cracks. The dismantling of the upper part should be completed by mid-September," the spokesperson stated.

After this, the chimney will be rebuilt, not only for the sake of heritage conservationists. "As part of the reconstruction of the entire Breda, it is planned that, for example, air conditioning will be installed in it," Konečný said.

Preparatory work for the repair of the dome started recently. "This is a technically demanding intervention. We need to have special scaffolding built so that restorers can work safely and accurately at height. The dome will undergo thorough cleaning, stabilization of the terrace plaster, repairs of the concrete ribs, replacement of roofing elements, and rehabilitation of adjacent roof sections. The work is expected to be completed within five months," Konečný said.

Upon completion of this phase, restorers will begin replacing the glass blocks. "They must be not only visually identical to the original ones but also attached using the same technology. Once these works are finished, it will be possible to remove the protective cover that is currently hiding the dome. This will allow the interior spaces to be filled with natural light again, and the entire building will literally blossom," the city spokesperson said.

According to Lucie Častulíková, head of the heritage department, the nearly one hundred-year-old dome is one of the most valuable elements of the entire building. "The dome itself is truly a masterpiece. Its base consists of a plastered peripheral ring, to which is attached a surface of artificial stone with a circular decor and 26 fields that are arranged from glass blocks measuring 16 by 16 centimeters at the upper part. The central rosette of the dome is formed by semicircles and circles that create a six-pointed flower. Some parts are even movable, allowing for ventilation. The entire mechanism can be controlled from the top of the dome," she stated.

When it opened in 1928, Breda was the largest department store in the republic. The building from 1927, which arose from the reconstruction of the original department store, had long been deteriorating. The cultural monument, which belonged to the bankrupt firm of entrepreneur Kamil Kolka, was acquired by the city in 2022 for 39.5 million crowns. The total costs for the reconstruction were originally expected to be around 300 million crowns, and are now 200 million higher. The annual operating cost of the building with 10,000 square meters is expected to be around 17.7 million crowns.

After the repairs, the building is expected to offer a market, a restaurant, a café, and rental spaces. The architects also plan to create a square in front of the building. The transformation of Breda is being contributed to by 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 splendor and open the space to the public.