Bílá labuť

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Coordinates: 50°05′25″N 14°26′02″E / 50.09020°N 14.43393°E / 50.09020; 14.43393
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Bílá labuť
Map
LocationPrague, Czech Republic
Coordinates50°05′25″N 14°26′02″E / 50.09020°N 14.43393°E / 50.09020; 14.43393
AddressNa Poříčí Street
Opening dateMarch 1939
Websitewww.bilalabut.cz

Bílá labuť (in English 'White Swan') is a department store on Na Poříčí Street in central Prague, Czech Republic. It is considered to be one of the finest examples of interwar avant-garde architecture. It is recognised by the Prague Municipality as an architecturally valuable building[1] and is protected as a cultural real estate monument.[2] At the time it was opened in 1939, it was the biggest and most modern department store in Central and Eastern Europe. It is currently undergoing extensive renovation.

History

The Bílá labuť Department Store building is located on Na Poříčí Street, one of the busiest streets in the New Town area of Prague 1. The building stands on the former site of the "U Podušků" inn and brewery. Over time, these buildings became known as the White Swan Inn due to the Swan Statute on their facade.

In the 1930s the buildings were purchased by Jaroslav Brouk of Brouk a Babka. The old buildings were demolished and replaced by a functionalist department store which opened in 1939.

The new building bore the Bílá labuť name and was designed by renowned architects

International Style" of functionalism.[6]
At the time of its opening, it was the largest and most modern commercial building in Central and Eastern Europe and remains well known throughout the Czech Republic as a retail icon.

Interesting features of the building included modern interior design, the first escalator in Prague, and a glass facade measuring 33 x 18 meters, consisting of 180 sheets of non-transparent, silver-gray glass with thermal- and noise-insulating properties. At the time, it was the largest glass-covered space in central Europe. There is also an eight-meter revolving neon swan on the roof – the oldest neon sign in Prague.[7]

The building was opened on 19 March 1939 against the tragic background of the

Nazi occupation of the Czech Republic
, which had occurred four days previously, and the store has been continuously operating since then.

Today

In November 2017, a renovation that fully respects the original, historically protected, construction began. This includes a complete restoration of the glass facade, which had deteriorated significantly over the years.

The store remains a key retail destination in Prague,[citation needed] with high footfall and excellent demographics in the surrounding area. Tenants include Lidl, Kika, and a large number of other medium to smaller retail spaces.

References

  1. ^ Architektonicky cenné stavby a soubory iprpraha.cz
  2. ^ "Památkový katalog - obchodní dům Bílá Labuť". pamatkovykatalog.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 2017-12-21.
  3. OCLC 44100995
    .
  4. OCLC 41560907
    .
  5. ISBN 0313334129
    .
  6. OCLC 37640627
    .
  7. ^ "Nejstarší funkční neon a slavná Bílá labuť". 15 December 2011.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bílá labuť (Na poříčí).
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