THE TESCO supermarket chain has chosen the town of Rajec (population 7,000), in the Žilina Region, as the site for its first department store made of wood, the Sme daily reported.
The store will be unique in Central Europe. Tesco said it is a test of how clients appreciate environmentally-friendly solutions, and whether wooden stores can help the company cut costs.
The store will be insulated with sheep's wool. Spokesperson Oľga Hrnčiarová said the company has pledged to halve its energy consumption by 2020.
Rajec Mayor Ján Rybárik said several companies had shown an interest in building a shop, but that Tesco found a plot the quickest.
He said he was pleased by the choice to build the shop from wood and pointed out that his town is known for its eco-friendly, energy-saving projects.
Roman Vašík of the Rovex company, which constructs wooden buildings, said that wood is often chosen not for environmental reasons, but because of savings on energy costs.
"A wooden building offers one tenth more in utility area than an ordinary building," he said.
