Vinohrady pavilion, Mecca of modern design. Like Chelsea Market in New York. PRAGUE 2 WITH NEW EYES
30/07/2022
Photo: MČ Prague 2 (as well as other images in the article)
Description: Vinohrady pavilion
It is an unmissable historical building and at the same time a Mecca of modern design. We are talking about the Vinohradský pavilion, which stands in the territory of Prague 2, almost on the very border with Prague 3. The original abandoned boutiques on an area of 2,500 square meters of brands have become a sales gallery of furniture and design from renowned domestic and international brands. Thanks to the lease of premises from the city district of Prague 2 to a private investor, it was possible to revive a place that was threatened with extinction. The opening in 2013 was preceded by an eight-month renovation.
The history of the pavilion on Vinohradská Street is as interesting as the industrial building itself. It was built in 1903 according to the design of architect Antonín Turk, who is the signature of a number of interesting buildings in Prague 2. Originally, it was a market that competed with the market on Tylova náměstí, the first in Královské Vinohrady. In 1986, the building burned down and was threatened with demolition. Inscribed on the list of immovable cultural monuments I believe it, in the 90s of the last century it was reconstructed as a new shopping center. It was one of the first shopping centers in the metropolis, it even had a technical innovation at the time – air conditioning, but it gradually declined and could not face the strong competitive environment. The nearby Flora shopping center was much larger, and the Vinohrady Pavilon also had problems with the building’s high energy consumption and small parking capacity.
The market building stands on a slope between Slezská and Vinohradská streets, from which its ground floor is accessible via a double-arm staircase. The space of the market itself is represented by a generous basilical three-nave with seven bays, formed by steel riveted lattice columns and trusses, and this layout is emphasized externally by large semicircular windows. The portal with the front portico is on the 2nd floor with stone sculptures of a fisherman and a peasant woman. The top acroterion of the shield forms the Vinohrady coat of arms decorated in stone.
The first modernization of the cellars and cooling equipment took place in 1927, and the market hall received new equipment again in 1960. The reconstruction project was already created in 1988 by the architects Vladimír Štulc and Jan Vrana. In the side naves of the market, they inserted a floor with walkways, supported by a distinguishable tubular structure. In November 1994, the market building was reopened as the Vinohradský pavilón shopping center. Later modifications changed the color of the building, previously the facades were green, and the original and added internal structures were painted in different shades of this color.
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Renaissance and new concept
After 110 years, the renaissance came. A new investor joined the company, which leased the premises from the city district. And with it a new concept of use, oriented towards housing and home accessories.
The history of the Vinohradský Pavilion illustrates the changes experienced by Prague over the past 100 years. At one time, markets inside historic buildings were very popular, such as the Old Town Market. They enabled better supervision of hygienic conditions and the quality and price of the goods offered. This was also the case with the Vinohradský Pavilion, which was conceived as a basilical three-nave, where the central part of the building with windows had an elevation, which was used for lighting and ventilation. It was extremely modern for its time, and merchants from the marketplace on Tylova náměstí also moved here right away. Covered markets were then in But the development went on, and finally they were replaced by department stores, supermarkets and hypermarkets – modern temples of consumption.
And today? A reversal of the trend is starting to take place and the markets are coming back to the street. For some, a return to the Middle Ages, for others, finishing the city’s color.
The story of the Vinohrady Pavilion is reminiscent of fate New York’s Chelsea Market (pictured)
Covered markets therefore still have to find new uses. When it even remotely resembles the original and retains a commercial use, it’s actually quite an achievement. The Vinohrady Pavilion thus resembles the world-famous New York Chelsea Market. Over time, this too has developed into a lively gallery, where visitors can purchase products from local designers and fashion designers. The Vinohradský pavilion was originally a mill machinery factory. After the latest revitalization, it offers a completely new sales concept. The floors can be freely walked from one company’s exhibition to another. It is a modern palace in a neo-Renaissance coat. And the beauty of the industrial architecture enhances this feeling even more.
Posted by: Markéta Vančová