Another small rural town, another former co-operative store. This is again the very distinct work of the architects of SOK. many similar examples once were the main source for groceries and other stuff for inhabitants in these towns.
I spotted this building for the first time in 2009 or 2010 and it has been in this state ever since. Apparently it can’t be demolished as it is protected, but nobody has made up any use to it.
The building was built in the 1940’s next to an old wooden co-operative store, which was located to the left of the picture. Downstairs was a grocery store, upstairs was a restaurant called the Goldfish.
In the 1960’s exactly the same happened here as happened in the other location I linked to earlier in this post. The wooden part of the store was demolished, a large, low, one-storey high department store wing was constructed and connected to the old functionalistic part. According to a diploma work written about this location, the co-operative wanted to demolish this building, but the town made them keep it. So they coated the building with the same white metal as the new part.
In the late 1990’s changes happened again. The new store seen in the background was constructed behind the 1960’s wing, which was then demolished to make way for a parking lot. As this part was protected, it was left standing, empty.
The building was last used in 1998. The roof is leaking, the basement is flooding and it’s generally in a very bad condition. A diploma work done in 2016 suggests its conversion to a hotel-restaurant, but nothing has happened.
And probably nothing will happen in the near future.