Reconstruction of the town hall in Brtnice
Modern architecture, especially the architecture of public buildings, is a reliable indicator of the state of society, a litmus test that sensitively responds to the values of its cultural, social, and political maturity. This undeniably unique expressive value is primarily associated with the buildings of libraries and cultural institutions; however, I believe that another type of public building—the town hall—reflects the events around us just as well, if not much better.
In the 1990s, there was a discussion on how today's town halls should look. Many of the creators who designed new constructions, extensions, or at least renovations of town hall buildings were, perhaps influenced by the ideas of architect Steven Holl, convinced that they should be primarily transparent. For them, the concept of transparency did not only represent a synonym for modern representative democracy but also a counterpoint to traditional monumentality and closure, embodying what Holl considered to be superiority and inaccessibility. The fact that these well-intentioned considerations turned out to be rather unrealistic or even illusory is also supported by the recently completed renovation of the town hall in Brtnice by Brno architect Ladislav Kuba. The renovation of the building, particularly its newly implanted interiors, is, in fact, the exact opposite of the discussed open town hall. They are not transparent, but rather "substantial" and closed. Not because they are integrated into the organism of a historical Renaissance building, but because Ladislav Kuba did not work with this category, nor with the duality of open versus closed. First and foremost, he aimed—and he truly succeeded in doing so—to sensitively reconstruct the historical object and only then to introduce an original innovation within its interiors—which is worth noting, only to the minimal extent necessary and only where the loss or destruction of an original detail required it. Although architect Kuba is among those who design within the framework of contemporary minimalism, I do not think his work can be identified with this trend, as he seeks deeper and more universal values. One could say metaphysical, which applies to the Brtnice town hall more than to any of his other realizations.
His work is characterized by form and material simplicity and unpretentiousness. The noble simple lapidary geometric details appear so natural that one hardly realizes their deeper significance. The mysterious transparency above the entrance staircase, the reinforced concrete "celestial" vault with lighting that evokes imaginary constellations, or the spiral steel staircase leading seemingly from nowhere to nowhere create a fascinating spectacle here. In this case, Ladislav Kuba followed his own path, leading him to a distinctive variation on the theme of the contemporary town hall (or rather its interiors) conceived on the principle of simple civil architecture. I realize that for many citizens, the brutally stark and industrially looking corridors, staircases, a series of rooms, offices, and details with their sharply contrasting colors (red, black, gray) may seem detached, if not directly negative. However, in my opinion, that is precisely where its charm and value lie. And as for the category of substantiality and a certain closure inherent to this work, it can be seen as a similar symbol of the democratic system, just as in the case of the already mentioned openness and transparency, serving as a symbol that here represents a much more tangible notion of community. The renovation of the Brtnice town hall and its new interiors is truly an outstanding work, and I can only hope that after the excellent renovations by Pelčák and Hrůša of the birthplace of architect Josef Hoffmann, this will not be the only architectural achievement in this beautiful picturesque town.
written for Listy - www.listy.cz
In the 1990s, there was a discussion on how today's town halls should look. Many of the creators who designed new constructions, extensions, or at least renovations of town hall buildings were, perhaps influenced by the ideas of architect Steven Holl, convinced that they should be primarily transparent. For them, the concept of transparency did not only represent a synonym for modern representative democracy but also a counterpoint to traditional monumentality and closure, embodying what Holl considered to be superiority and inaccessibility. The fact that these well-intentioned considerations turned out to be rather unrealistic or even illusory is also supported by the recently completed renovation of the town hall in Brtnice by Brno architect Ladislav Kuba. The renovation of the building, particularly its newly implanted interiors, is, in fact, the exact opposite of the discussed open town hall. They are not transparent, but rather "substantial" and closed. Not because they are integrated into the organism of a historical Renaissance building, but because Ladislav Kuba did not work with this category, nor with the duality of open versus closed. First and foremost, he aimed—and he truly succeeded in doing so—to sensitively reconstruct the historical object and only then to introduce an original innovation within its interiors—which is worth noting, only to the minimal extent necessary and only where the loss or destruction of an original detail required it. Although architect Kuba is among those who design within the framework of contemporary minimalism, I do not think his work can be identified with this trend, as he seeks deeper and more universal values. One could say metaphysical, which applies to the Brtnice town hall more than to any of his other realizations.
His work is characterized by form and material simplicity and unpretentiousness. The noble simple lapidary geometric details appear so natural that one hardly realizes their deeper significance. The mysterious transparency above the entrance staircase, the reinforced concrete "celestial" vault with lighting that evokes imaginary constellations, or the spiral steel staircase leading seemingly from nowhere to nowhere create a fascinating spectacle here. In this case, Ladislav Kuba followed his own path, leading him to a distinctive variation on the theme of the contemporary town hall (or rather its interiors) conceived on the principle of simple civil architecture. I realize that for many citizens, the brutally stark and industrially looking corridors, staircases, a series of rooms, offices, and details with their sharply contrasting colors (red, black, gray) may seem detached, if not directly negative. However, in my opinion, that is precisely where its charm and value lie. And as for the category of substantiality and a certain closure inherent to this work, it can be seen as a similar symbol of the democratic system, just as in the case of the already mentioned openness and transparency, serving as a symbol that here represents a much more tangible notion of community. The renovation of the Brtnice town hall and its new interiors is truly an outstanding work, and I can only hope that after the excellent renovations by Pelčák and Hrůša of the birthplace of architect Josef Hoffmann, this will not be the only architectural achievement in this beautiful picturesque town.
written for Listy - www.listy.cz
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