The shopping complex was built back in the 1960s on the site of an old coal mine. Voids and mobility of soil layers in 2011 led to the collapse of the soil and the collapse of part of the building. The architects of the Powerhouse Company who won the competition for the reconstruction of the complex slightly "moved" the facade of the building into the depths of the site and created not only a new retail space (1500 m2), but also an open area (4000 m2) with an underground parking lot (4500 m2) on the site of the emergency building.
The area in front of the store is lined with sandstone and equipped with long wooden benches. Imposing openings that violate the integrity of the open space provide natural light access to the underground parking area. If necessary, they can be filled with additional trade pavilions. In the meantime, through them, the powerful concrete structures of the underground part are clearly visible - "so that … not to fall too much."
The entrance to the building is located in a recess, at the junction of the old and new volumes. It is marked by a thin white steel and aluminum canopy that tightly links the interior and exterior. But the main element that forms the new image of the complex is the long facade, finished with acetylated Accoya wood.®… The uprights, made of very durable and practical material, create a striking, irregular rhythm for the low façade. And its rounded corner becomes a kind of center of the entire area, further accentuating the entrance area.
To maintain and diversify the vertical rhythm of the glass inserts, the architects extended the windows with gold-colored aluminum plates. External illumination directed at these sheets turns a utilitarian, rather simple building into a mysterious, even slightly glamorous object.
