Iconic store to reopen in Budapest soon! – PHOTOS

The once-iconic Corvin department store has a fascinating history.

The building, which later served as the venue of the department store, first opened in 1875 and housed Népszínház, the Hungarian National Theater. The building was also home to a newspaper, Budapesti Hírlap, and then it functioned as a cinema. – writes 24.hu. The cinema later became Apolló Cabaret, then Apolló Stage, but the building was deconstructed by Christmas 1923. A new building took over the place on 24 March 1926 and the Corvin department store finally opened its doors.

It was Hungary’s first mall.

Customers could visit a railway ticket office, household goods store, carpet store, shoe store, instant photography, cafe, restaurant, and fashion stores as well. Clothes were fitted to the customers by 60 seamstresses and free brochures were sent out by post so that people could see the available products. The mall was also the first building in the country to have an escalator. At times, the shoppers were even entertained by live music. The employees enjoyed working at the department store as well. The staff of 700 people earned a good wage, higher than average, and even a daycare was available for their children. The company also provided homes for some of its employees.

The siege of Budapest then changed this idyll.

History left a mark on the building that lost its charm eventually. A serious decision had to be made: should the owners close down the building for a two-year renovation or find other solutions to keep it open? In the end, they tried to fix the damages instead of renovating the building, so that they could keep using it and prevent financial losses. However, the building lost its beauty.