The Brno council wants to restore the function of the city's chief architect

Brno - Brno’s city councilors want to restore the position of chief architect in the city. The department was abolished at the Brno city hall in 2003. The chief architect should oversee new developments in the city. Coalition politicians agreed that the establishment of the position will be part of their program declaration, which they intend to present at the next city council meeting. The document is not yet fully ready, but everyone in the coalition is united on this position, said Mayor Roman Onderka to ČTK.
    According to the mayor, the city needs a chief architect. "I can't imagine someone designing buildings, like the new Špalíček, or the 30-story department store Centrum, which would be taller than all the churches in the area combined," the mayor said jokingly.
    The large Špalíček was built a few years ago in a block near the town hall, where some of the oldest buildings in Brno used to stand. The modern building is used as a department store with cinemas. However, many Brno residents have not acclimated to it and some architects criticize it. In contrast, the project for the twenty-eight-story department store Centrum is still only on paper - the same-named building near Mahen Theater currently does not exceed the surrounding buildings.
    Before the position of chief architect was abolished in Brno, it was led by Jaroslav Josífek. The architect agrees that the restoration of the office would be beneficial for Brno. However, the department would only function under two conditions. "It should not be a figure in the hands of politicians, not their servant, but an equal partner," Josífek told ČTK today. The second condition is that the chief architect should be equipped with competences under the building law, which would, however, require a reorganization of the city hall. Otherwise, he says, establishing the position is pointless.
    The mayor is concerned whether it will be possible to find a suitable candidate for the position. According to him, the city’s chief architect should be experienced, should have contacts with academia and practice, and recognition from the chamber of architects. "He should also be someone who didn't leave university yesterday," Onderka added.
    According to Josífek, there are people in Brno who would have the qualities for the position. However, in his view, the work of a chief architect cannot be combined with an academic career or work in a private office. "He must be dedicated to it one hundred percent," he stated. A potential candidate would also have to reconcile with likely lower earnings.