Obchodní dům Vkus Department store

Welcome to the very heart of Brno. You are standing right in front of a building that, with its appearance, is significantly protruding from the surrounding building and bearing the imprint of a very specific era of our history. There's a Vkus department store in front of you. It's a building that combines both business and administrative functions, and you probably feel the special contrast between the older city centre and the bold approach to construction from the second half of the last century.

Stop for a moment and try to see the space you are in. To understand why this building looks just like this, we have to go back many years to a time when the city center looked completely different. This building didn't just happen randomly. It stands in a place that has been empty for a long time. It was a so-called prowess, an open space in a series of houses that was created here as a result of the tragic events of the year one thousand nine hundred forty-four, when the city was hit by bombing. It was in this wound in the city tissue that later decided to build something new that would fit the needs of the time.

The construction itself began in the year one thousand nine hundred sixty-two. It was a time when architecture tried to express modernity, efficiency and a new social order. The whole team of architects worked on the design, including Arnošt Krejza, Karel Karel Žák, Miloslav Kramoliš, František Sláma, Jaroslav Drápal and Olga Drápalová. Together they created a complex that was completed in the year one thousand nine hundred sixty-six. The building was designated from the beginning as the seat of the clothing cooperative Vkus. Imagine that in this house, everything connected into one whole. In the lower floors there were sales places where people chose clothes, while in other parts of the building there were sewing workshops, where the clothes were actually formed, and in the upper floors there were offices that controlled everything.

Now please pay attention to the overall appearance of the building and its surroundings. Notice how this department store is architecturally connected to the International Hotel. These two buildings together form one unified complex, which is an example of the architecture of its time. It's a style that doesn't look for decoration in detail, but rather in clean lines and functionality. Look up on the roof. Although from the point of view of the pedestrian on the street everything may not be visible immediately, it is interesting to know that the flat roof was designed in the corner part as an understanding of the social space. Imagine what the view of Brno must have been from this place when the building was newly created. It was a space designed for people, for meeting and looking at the city from a different perspective.

If you could look into the inner space, on the lower floors you would notice that the walls are lined with building material, which was designed to underline the period nature and practical utilization of space. The whole interior was designed to continuously guide customers from sales to administrative parts. Everything here was in line with the trends that then applied to the emphasis on space and light.

This building is not just a pile of concrete and glass, but it is a living witness to social change. The Vkus cooperative that was based here was an important player in the textile and fashion industry. People came here not only to shop, but the building was a symbol of a certain lifestyle and economic system. It's fascinating to think how many thousands of people have come through here, how many dresses have been made here and how many business meetings have been held in these offices. The history of this place is therefore closely linked to the development of Czech textiles and the organisation of work within cooperatives.

Then the end of one era came relatively recently. On the first February of the year two thousand twenty-one officially disappeared the clothing squad Vkus. With its end, a chapter that lasted more than half a century was closed. But the building remains. It stands here as a reminder of the time when the city of Brno was rebuilding from wreckage after the war and looking for its new face in socialist architecture.

When you look at this complex today, try to see more than just the administration building. You see the courage of architects who wanted to fill the void after the bombing with something that was modern and progressive in their eyes. It's a place where the painful history of a thousand nine hundred forty-four meets the ambitions of the 1960s and the present day of Brno. It's a reminder of how the city changes, how the organizations die, but how there are traces of buildings that make us think about what happened.

Now imagine the contrast. On the one hand you have a historical center with its traditional houses and on the other hand you have this bold, functional complex with hotel International. It is in this tension between old and new that the attraction of the Brno Centre lies. The Vkus building is like a chapter in a textbook of acts that you can just go around and observe.

Now that you've learned what lies behind the facade of this house and what path has led to its creation, I suggest you go around the building again slowly. Feel her spirit and the way she filled the space that was once destroyed. Try to imagine the excitement of sewing machines and the hustle and bustle of stores that have been around for decades.

Thank you for escorting me to this stop. I hope this view of Vkus's department store helped you better understand the layers of history that make up today's Brno. You can now continue to explore other beautiful corners of our city. I wish you a pleasant walk and many new discoveries. Goodbye.