When arriving in Pilsen from Prague, there used to be a ruin of an unauthorized construction of the Carimex complex from the late 1990‘s that attracted attention for many years. It was called the ‘glass hell’ and has recently been replaced by OC Úslava, which was built, thanks to the efforts of InterCora, unexpectedly quickly – in less than a year.
The local modern architecture emphasizes energy efficiency, sustainability and disabled friendly access, and presents the InterCora project as ‘an example of cooperation between a private investor and the city having a positive impact on the surrounding area’.
A lively shopping centre emerged from a bleak space
A place that was, for many years, a symbol of untapped potential and a long-standing urban planning problem came to life after the opening of OC Úslava. After more than 20 years of dilapidation, the new project brought extensive revitalization of the space, new services, vacancies and a better transport solution for one of the city’s key traffic arteries.
The original unfinished building became a sad reminder of unauthorized development experiments from the end of the last century. Demolition began in June 2024 and construction of the new centre began in January 2025. “When we saw the condition of the former complex in 2022, we knew that it would not be an easy project. But today we can say that OC Úslava is a symbol of a positive transformation of the city and the return of living space to its residents,” believes Ing. Ivan Hlaváček, co-owner of InterCora, spol. s r.o.
The new centre continues the long-term efforts of the city of Pilsen to cultivate neglected locations and restore their function and aesthetic value. Other structures that were build alongside the construction include the new roundabout in Těšínská Street, a turn-off from Rokycanská Street, pedestrian pavements and safer cycling infrastructure in the form of cycleways.
Commercial units with ecological elements and residential development
The commercial zone with an area of 6,270 sq m with 220 parking spaces and 12 commercial units, including Billa, Woolworth, Asian Foodcourt, Pepco, KiK, Rossmann, Super Zoo or the fast-food restaurant Popeyes, which opened its first branch here in Pilsen, was built in less than a year.
Great emphasis was placed on ecological aspects. Ing. arch. Ivan Hlaváček, Managing Director and Partner of InterCora, says: “I value greenery as part of the project the most. The times require it today, but not everyone implements it. We have green roofs on this project and there are climbing plants on the facades, which will be visible in the spring. There is the most modern rainwater infiltration, so everything is absorbed in the ground and not a drop of water goes elsewhere.”
OC Úslava is the first stage of a large complex. “We will continue with the second stage, which will be a large multifunctional building located on the corner of Rokycanská třída with shops, offices and dozens of apartments, which is currently in the design phase. The third stage will comprise of three apartment buildings located in the vicinity of the Úslava River,” I. Hlaváček outlines their further plans. Construction should begin within two years and, according to the contract with the city, everything should be completed by 2031.
How did the construction work progress
The general contractor for the construction of OC Úslava was the Ostrava construction company JTA, s. r. o. Its Director and Executive, Ing. Alan Jančík, emphasizes that InterCora needs to build very quickly: “We came to an agreement at the beginning of December last year and we commenced the construction immediately. Apart from the Christmas holidays and Easter Monday we worked non-stop. The task was to complete the construction by the end of November, which we accomplished.” The construction site located on the brownfield had, after the demolition of the ‘glass hell’, an area of approximately four hectares. “The construction was extremely complicated with regards to laying its foundations, because it turned out that we did not have sufficient input information. It was necessary to change the procedure along the way. The second big problem was that we did not have electricity until the end of the construction, because ČEZ has certain delivery deadlines, and as a result, the whole thing dragged on,” says A. Jančík. However, the distance between Pilsen and Ostrava was not an obstacle. “We manage logistics throughout the Czech Republic, because we would be unable to make a living in the small region of Ostrava,” concludes A. Jančík.
Arnošt Wagner
Photo: InterCora archive