The new church school in the center of Brno will open in September 2027 and will bear Mendel's name

Brno - The Brno Diocese is preparing to refurbish an unused school building on Jánská Street, which it exchanged with the city for the Chleborád Villa at the turn of last year and this year. After a complete renovation, modernization, and equipping of classrooms with a special focus on science subjects, a church school will be established there. It will be named after the Brno priest and world-renowned scientist Gregor Johann Mendel, who worked in the building more than 160 years ago. It will welcome its first students in September 2027, the diocese announced today in a press release.

"One of the priorities of the church is education. However, our goal is not just quality teaching. We want to create an open environment based on Christian principles and values. A place where students and teachers know each other, develop, and inspire one another," said Bishop Pavel Konzbul.

Local self-government representatives welcome the establishment of the new school. "There is a massive construction plan around the historic center, and it can be expected that in the future, it will not be easy to secure sufficient capacities for primary education there," said Martin Vrubel (KDU-ČSL), deputy mayor of the Brno-střed district. "I am glad that the city center will come to life with another place for education. It will also include a cafeteria, an after-school program for first-grade children, and a club for second-grade students. The grades will gradually be filled, with a maximum capacity of 540 students," stated city councilor Irena Matonohová (STAN).

The current facilities, their equipment, and layout are not in a satisfactory condition. Therefore, renovation is necessary, which the diocese plans to undertake in phases. The first phase is set to begin in the spring of next year. The architectural plans are being developed by the Riviera Architects studio, which wants to incorporate modern trends, such as adding so-called mezzanines, individual, or group study rooms to the classrooms.

"We also want to bring light into the corridors, expand them, and connect them with a courtyard, where a green oasis and a space for the school's community life will be created. The modifications, together with the addition of the retreating floor, are being proposed with humility towards the authentically preserved, historically protected building," added architect Tomáš Růžička.

The diocese currently estimates the total cost of the reconstruction to be in the hundreds of millions of crowns, with each phase requiring around 100 million crowns. The diocese intends to partially finance the construction from its own resources and church collections but will also seek public grants and contributions from small donors.

The school aims to continue Mendel's legacy. It plans to offer quality primary education, extended English teaching from the first grade, and opportunities to focus on science subjects. "An advantage will also be the wide range of extracurricular activities directly at the school. In the building, there will also be a basic art school. Other important features will include a school chapel, a café, and a library, places where students, teachers, and parents and friends of the school can meet informally," said the future school's director, David Solnička.