Dornych Shopping Centre – Prior

The Brno department store Prior on Dornych Street, whose lowest floor still housed a Tesco supermarket in 2023, was once the most modern shopping centre in Moravia.

The original regional centre designed by architect Ruller was never built. Instead, Zdeňek Řihák and Sklepek designed a six-storey building, with the upper three floors used as offices. The building is located near the main railway station, and its layout was entirely functional. The new Prior department store was officially opened on 30 November 1984.

The main building has a three-storey lower section with staircases on either side. Shops occupy two floors, while the third floor was used by apprentices who both learned and worked on-site. A newer extension from the 1990s on the first floor surrounds the original cuboid and staircase. The ground floor features a western courtyard and a goods-handling area, while the eastern part extends into a pedestrian terrace connecting the centre to the Vaňkovka shopping mall. The railings were adorned with concrete decorative elements by sculptor Milan Buřival, while parts of the façade are clad with decorative panels, and the stair towers are finished with patterned square cement tiles.

During the communist era, all Brno residents and people from southern Moravia shopped here. Today, however, Prior no longer meets the demands of modern consumer society and cannot compete with the neighbouring shopping mall. The building is scheduled for demolition, after which a modern district will be developed, featuring a square lined with six separate buildings.