DBK

The department store specializing in furniture sales, designed by a prominent Czech architect, is almost the only realized part of the originally grand project for the then Budějovické náměstí. Similar to the older Kotva department store, also designed by the same architect, this modern shopping center stands out for its sophisticated operational design and the use of weathering steel, known as corten. The black horizontally divided facade of the department store has become a typical example of this material’s usage, which, together with red accents, creates a perfect combination representing the rising living standards of Czechoslovak society at that time. Not only the window frames but also the interior were designed in red, such as the concrete relief by Slavoj Nejdl or the massive wooden artistic ceiling panels. After the revolution, the building was occupied by the newly arrived IKEA in Czechoslovakia. Following their relocation to a new headquarters in Zličín in 2006, the original department store was adapted to current needs and trends, resulting in significant irreversible damage to a substantial part of the interior. It was during this time that the building lost its genius loci.