Brouk a Babka, Functionalist department store in České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
Brouk a Babka is a four-story department store from the 1930s with a functional design marked by cream-colored ceramic cladding and red window frames. The building uses modern skeletal construction and follows a rectangular floor plan across multiple retail levels.
The building was designed in 1935 by architect Karel Chochola and represents the modernization of retail during that era. It was constructed using innovative skeletal framework with brick infill, a progressive technique for its time.
The building sits alongside older structures and creates an interesting contrast with traditional architecture around it. Its design shows how retail spaces evolved in the early 20th century across the Czech lands.
The building is accessed from the street and the spaces are distributed across multiple levels, so moving through the interior requires some time. Visitors should allow themselves plenty of time to explore the interior and architectural details at a leisurely pace.
A documentary film was made when the building opened, and it still exists in the archives of Czech Television today. This rare footage captures the commercial life and architecture from a 1930s perspective.
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