Cathedrals everywhere for those with eyes to see.
This former department store, designed by architect Milan Babuška and built in 1930-31, is now a bank on the ground floor, with offices and co-working spaces above.
The building was extensively refurbished in 2018-19, with neon backlighting being added back to the façade, as per the original plans, as well as the signage at the top referring to its’ original use.
The clock is a nice touch, too.
🪧 Days Without Posting Williamson Power Station: 0.
On the ground floor of this building lies a womenswear shop, presumably defunct, covered in graffiti. Looking back at old Street View imagery, the condition of the building began to deteriorate around 2011, which is surprising as I found other buildings around this one to be clean – so perhaps it’s just a lack of maintenance that has allowed this one to languish.
The floors above the shop are actually very presentable. The Brno Architecture Manual, where the building is listed as the apartment building of Charlotte Deutsch, designed by Maximilian Leopold Matzenauer and built in 1904, notes the “facade is adorned with rich stucco Art Nouveau decoration”. The grape motifs perhaps relate to the Deutsch family distillery, which itself has recently been converted into shared offices and spaces for cultural and educational events.
The note above the door, presumably penned by the disgruntled residents of the apartments above, leaves no room for doubt: “This is not a toilet! Stop pissing and shitting here!”
Sometimes, a building captures my attention for reasons that aren’t always immediately obvious.
Palác Alfa is an inter-war complex of retail and housing in the functionalist style, designed by Czech architect Bohuslav Fuchs. It is the retail element which interests me the most – an intricately detailed arcade featuring curved glass, metal window frames and balustrades, and a clock to make Preston bus station turn green with envy.
The current interior is primarily a result of post-war reconstruction, with the arcade having been severely damaged during the war. Original functionalist details have also been restored during later reconstructions, such as when the original cinema in the basement was adapted for use by the HaDivadlo theatre.
I didn’t enter the arcade when I visited because I didn’t realise what awaited me inside, but there are great photos of the interior on the Alfa Passage website.
Further reading:
Heard this week that demolition of this one has begun, or rather, “there’s chunks missing out of it,” in my boyfriend’s parlance. The MEN reports it’s set to be replaced by student housing “inspired by nearby listed modernist icon, the Renold Building” — which means it’s going to be clad in white, in short.
This one holds a special place in my heart, having featured in the first post on here.
Palác Morava is a building of two halves – an older 6 storey half (the last 3 pictures here, built 1929), and a newer 4 storey half (the first picture, built 1936).
It’s mainly the older part of the building which appeals to me – it’s a concrete frame clad in attractive decorative patterned brick, and the inward curve of the upper storeys provides visual interest.
The building is surrounded by tram tracks on all sides, which does make it rather difficult to photograph cleanly.
Further reading:
