Context
The Breda department store in Opava is an exceptional building from the first half of the 20th century and an important landmark of the city, but it has been dilapidated for over twenty years. Local enthusiasts decided to save it and subsequently convinced the city authorities to buy the building and reconstruct it. But the question remained as to what the new content of the neglected building would be.
The newly formed society (Spolek na záchranu obchodního domu Breda) decided to go down the participatory way and approached Participation Factory to help implement a participatory process with local residents and stakeholders.
How we proceeded
The aim of the process was to generate ideas for the use of the space. The participation activities began with workshops for local entrepreneurs and architects, followed by workshops with the public. In workshops with local businesses and the public, the aim was to create project cards in which participants could share their suggestions and ideas for the possible future use of the former department store. The workshop with the architects was more consultative and focused more on the technical use of the building and its parts.
Results of participation
With the help of our project team, we were able to really focus on each design and ensure the highest quality output. All the outputs from the participation were later included in the documentation for the architectural competition for the reconstruction of the Breda department store, which was announced by the city in the spring of 2024.
