Brno wants the second part of Fuchs' villa to be a monument

Brno - Brno is striving through the National Heritage Institute for the villa of Emílie Wallischová on Tůmová Street in Žabovřesky to become a cultural monument. This is a smaller part of a duplex known as the Fuchs Villa, a house that was constructed during the interwar period according to the design of prominent architect Bohuslav Fuchs, Councillor Filip Chvátal (KDU-ČSL) said to reporters today. The second, larger part has been a monument for many years.

According to Chvátal and experts in architecture and heritage, the villa is a pure example of functionalism. The current owner is pursuing a complete change of the family house and its conversion into an apartment building with four apartments. The city hopes to reach an agreement with the investor on preservation even if the building is not classified as a monument. The owner is open to an agreement, with the possibility of the city purchasing or exchanging it for another property. "Fuchs does not yet have any memorial in Brno, and this building would be perfect for it; it could have an exhibition within it. Thanks to him, a number of remarkable functionalist buildings were created not only in Brno,” Chvátal said.

The National Heritage Institute proposed the declaration of the house as a monument a year ago, and the request has been supported by many experts. The investor, on the other hand, currently has a request for a reconstruction permit at the building authority. The municipal district, which disagrees with the reconstruction, has also filed objections in the building proceedings, said Deputy Mayor of Žabovřesky Filip Leder (KDU-ČSL). He is also not convinced about the creation of an apartment building in an area where family houses are almost exclusively built, primarily during the First Republic period.

The city leadership spoke with the owners for the first time last week. "The whole situation is not very pleasant for them and they are relatively positively inclined towards our efforts; they are not pursuing the reconstruction at any cost," Chvátal stated.

Every year, thousands of visitors travel to Brno to see functionalist monuments. This is one of the architectural styles that has imprinting the appearance of Brno most distinctly. The most significant monument is the Tugendhat Villa, and there are also buildings in this style such as Zeman's Café, the Avion Hotel, the crematorium, Era Café, the oldest parts of the Brno Exhibition Centre, the City Baths, a number of villas, apartment buildings, schools, and other public buildings.