Brno prepares reconstruction of Arnold's villa for 100 million

Brno - Brno plans to reconstruct Arnold's villa for 100 million crowns. Most of the money is to be obtained from so-called Norwegian funds, said the mayor's assistant Petr Hladík (KDU-ČSL) to reporters today. The reconstruction itself will cost about 80 million, while the equipment will require 20 million crowns. In the villa, which used to be a kindergarten and from which children had to leave due to poor condition, the historical and museum institution Center for Dialogue will find its base.

The council today acknowledged the intention of the Brno-sever district to commission project documentation for the reconstruction of the villa. The district will pay two million crowns for the preparation of the documentation. "The city council also appointed a working group that will focus on the detailed content orientation of the center," informed Hladík.

The Center for Dialogue will be responsible for the building and the garden, which is available for holding exhibitions outdoors, concerts, and other cultural or community events. There is also a possibility of linking it with the neighboring Tugendhat and Löw-Beer villas. "Moravia is historically a region where various nations and ethnicities met. The center would be a place where everyone could meet again, engage in discussions, share, and preserve unique testimonies about the past," added Hladík. Each villa is managed by a different institution, and according to Hladík, the city will discuss with the region whether to establish one organization for the management of these three villas.

Arnold's villa is an Art Nouveau building from 1862, which served as a kindergarten a few years ago. Children had to leave due to poor structural condition and unsatisfactory hygiene conditions. Its restoration and revitalization is being pursued by the association Cultural Center of Joseph Arnold.

The villa stands in the oldest villa development in Brno in Černá Pole near Lužánky Park and is on the list of the most endangered monuments in the Czech Republic. The Arnold couple owned it for 21 years and then sold it; various owners succeeded one another. The association, which was established last year, initially focused on the revitalization of the garden.

If the villa is successfully repaired, it will be the fifth reconstructed from the second half of the 19th century and the first third of the 20th century. People can already see architecturally valuable villas of Tugendhat, Löw-Beer, Stiassni, and Jurkovič in Brno.