The under-construction parking garage in Brno faces criticism, and the councilor seeks adjustments

Brno – Experts, the opposition, and even the transport councillor are dissatisfied with the design of the parking garage that the city company Brněnské komunikace began constructing last week between Křenová, Vlhká, and Skořepka streets. They are particularly bothered by the architectural concept. The building does not take into account the context of its location and is disrespectful to the nearby synagogue, opposition councillor Matěj Hollan (Žít Brno) told journalists today. The project deserved better care in this regard, said councillor Petr Kratochvíl (ODS). He is seeking adjustments, he told ČTK today. The building, costing nearly 120 million crowns, is expected to be completed in two years.

The start of construction of the building for 226 cars was accompanied by unusual criticism on social media. "Why is it so ugly? It’s only 100 meters from the protected historic center of the city," wrote opposition councillor Marek Lahoda (Pirates). Councillors from the Green and Žít Brno clubs also commented on the topic today. "From an architectural standpoint, this is worthy of being thrown in the trash and redone with the chief architect. Just because Křenová is no longer a boulevard doesn't mean we should write it off forever. Moreover, it is a disrespect to the synagogue, which is the only one in Brno," noted Hollan.

Veronika Rút from the non-profit organization Our Cultured Cities criticized the construction, among other things, for the unused ground floor, which she believed could have been filled with public amenities. "Instead, it will just be fertile ground for everything people dread. A five-year-old could design this better," she wrote on the X network. Jan Tesárek, director of the Office of the Architect of the City of Brno (KAM), also told the media that it is a "complete resignation on architecture". KAM was not involved in the preparation of the building.

The project was handled by the Mark Vala studio. Architect Petr Mareček noted on social media that the published visualization does not show the final state. It is a visualization of the skeleton sent to the client while addressing the number of parking spaces and the comfort of using the building. "A hardened area with greenery and trees will be created in front of the building. The areas between the columns and ceiling slabs are filled with stainless steel mesh. This filling was chosen for safety reasons, to unify the facade, to reduce transparency, and also for the future possibility of greening the facade," he wrote.

Despite this, councillor Kratochvíl believes that architecture should have been taken into greater consideration. "I understand that the construction is funded from the city company’s own resources, but I think it needed more. I arranged a meeting with the designer, representatives of Brněnské komunikace, and KAM to discuss whether the contract can still be adjusted in some way. But I still don’t know if it will be technically possible," said the councillor. Tesárek welcomed the initiative. "It’s good that there is a debate. We don't know what can be changed, but it's never too late. I’m happy to offer cooperation," he stated.

Kratochvíl added that he also reached out to the city’s corporate companies to ensure that a representative of KAM is present in future public space investments.