Paris Department Store

The Paris Department Store, Hungary's first genuine emporium was built on the site of the Casino of Terézváros (7th district), partly by appropriating the casino building. It was completed in 1911 according to Zsigmond Sziklai's plans. The elegant and attractive interior with a great central atrium is located behind the art nouveau facade that was at the time considered scandalously inappropriate to the neo-Renaissance frontage of the Andrássy Avenue. Beside the high-quality materials, innovative reinforced concrete structures were used in the building as well. In the '60s, the department store's name was changed to Divatcsarnok (Fashion Hall).Manuelle Gautrand made the first plans in 2000 for the reconstructions, however, the National Office for the Protection of Historic Monuments rejected them. Eventually the reconstruction took place along the plans of Tiba Studio, who managed to restore the protected elements in a genuine way while adding notable contemporary details as well. The most significant such developments are the spaces created on the roof. The crystal structure metal-glass hall looks incredibly exciting from Hegedű street, by the rear façade. The roof is open to the public.