To spot the Tesco Department Store, just look for the big, boxy five-story building at the corner with a grid-like, cream-colored stone facade and a large TESCO sign above the entrance, right where the bustling street opens onto a wide square.
Now, take a moment to really soak it in-because this isn’t just a store, it’s a living slice of Košice’s adventure in modern retail! Long before there were shopping apps and online carts, people flocked here to see something new and wildly different. Built between 1965 and 1968, it was the project of architect Růžena Žertová. Imagine her drafting bold plans to put a mighty concrete giant right here, among elegant old townhouses from the 19th century-it must have felt a little like dropping a spaceship into the middle of a fairy tale! People at the time were probably saying, “Is this really going up next to that pretty palace?!”
The land underneath stretches to a massive 3,500 square meters. When it opened, it was a sensation-once called Obchodný dom Prior, then K-Mart, and only later Tesco. Its walls, decked out with terrazzo tiles designed by artist Jana Bartošová-Vilhanová, must have seemed dazzlingly modern in a city used to hand-carved stone and brickwork. Inside, famous Slovak artists painted and decorated, adding a little touch of magic to the long escalators and bright shopping lights.
Originally, local legends say, people came for things they’d never seen before-escalators humming, wide windows displaying the newest fashions, and, on top floors, space for company meetings or the occasional office party (though I don’t know if anyone ever did the dancing robot there). The basement, which might sound a bit mysterious, was a hidden world for deliveries and pizza-yes, nowadays it’s even been home to Pizza Hut!
Through the years, the building kept changing-surviving new owners, plans, and styles, all while keeping that strong, proud look. Even when Tesco shut its doors in 2018, the concrete bones stayed solid, ready for the next era. The new owners plan to keep this look, a nod of respect to how this modernist cube, with all its angles and secrets, is a landmark in the city center.
So as you stand here, picture the rush of shoppers, the hum of construction in the 1960s, and the echo of history in every single tile-you’re not just outside a supermarket, you’re stepping into a chapter of Košice’s living story.
