Obchodní dům Baťa, Department store in Vřídelní Street, Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic.
Obchodní dům Baťa is a six-story structure built with reinforced concrete and brick infill walls in a modernist style. The building stands out from its neighbors through its clean design and contemporary construction approach.
The store was built in 1930 on the site of the former Golden Swan house, designed by Zlín architect Antonín Vítek. It represented the expansion of the Baťa retail chain into major cities during that period.
The building reflects how retail spaces evolved in Czechoslovakia by combining business needs with modern construction methods. You can see today how practical this design approach was for shopping at the time.
The building sits in central Karlovy Vary on Vřídelní Street and is easy to reach on foot. You can walk through the active spaces to see how this retail building worked then and works today.
The facade features distinct surface treatments that set it apart from neighboring buildings with traditional stucco finishes. This was a deliberate choice to bring modern design into a historic spa town setting.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
