McDonalds Restaurant

McDonalds entered the Czech Market in 1992 when it opened its first branch in a historic building on Vodičkova Street in the centre of Prague. The multinational enterprise did not arrive in Zlín until five years later, in mid-November 1997. Its premises stand in an exposed location of the pedestrian zone leading to the historic centre, to náměstí Míru. Unlike in Prague, a completely new building was erected in Zlín. Its implementation took only 20 months and the author of the project was the architect Lubomír Zeman from L. Z. Ateliér, s. r. o in Prague.

 

The development began as a two-storey building with a flat roof, from a plan the shape of a circular sector with a radius of 14.50 m completely filling in the corner plot. The façade consists of a regular grid of window openings on the first and second floors, which alternate with vertical columns, and a prominent horizontal advertising strip between the windows. The colour scheme is based on the combination of corporate red and yellow used on the verticals and the plinth; the blue window frames are a prominent element. The volume of the two-storey building is completed by the lift engine room on the roof with separate access. Round windows are installed in this operational area.

 

The foundations of the building were dimensioned for the potential later completion of the third and fourth floors. In this way, the building would follow the height of the surrounding development. However, this never happened. The restaurant on the ground floor was designed for 60 visitors. The dining areas with toilets are complemented by the food preparation room, storage rooms, and technical rooms on the first floor. On the second floor there are rooms for staff, offices, and another sales area. In the early years, the interiors of the dining facility also featured reproductions of Karel Zeman's films, today the interior is designed with typical elements and accessories of the McDonald's company. 

 

The company chose premises in Zlín as early as 1994, when it wanted to use the former Grocery House on Dlouhá Street. However, this place was also chosen by Zlín businessman František Knedla, who subsequently opened a self-service dining room there. The exterior has remained in its original form to this day. The façade, which was complemented by an inflatable figure of Ronald McDonald when it opened, is now obscured by visual pollution.

 

Zlín McDonald's represents one of the first realisations of this multinational company here, still using individually-designed architecture. The rounded corners, the colour scheme of the façade, as well as the overall modest appearance of the building helped to integrate it relatively naturally into the surrounding city environment. In subsequent years, other branches were built outside the city in a clearly corporate style.

 

 

LŠ