<span>Czech Radio has begun repairs on the studio building in Brno.</span>

photo: www.bam.brno.cz

Brno - Czech Radio has started to renovate the listed building from 1925 on Beethoven Street, where the Brno studio is located. In the first phase, which is scheduled to be completed by the middle of next year, they will renovate the basement, which contains all the technical facilities, and the ground floor, which houses the largest studios, for 36 million crowns. This way, it will be possible in Brno to produce shows even with a smaller audience and record performances of smaller ensembles of about 15 members, said Martin Kozlovský, head of the radio studio operations, to ČTK.

The building was designed by the prominent interwar architect Ernst Wiesner and originally served as a bank. The radio settled in it in 1949 and adapted the bank hall, where clerks sat behind the counter, for the largest recording studio. "On the ground floor, there are the two largest studios, which were last reconstructed in the 70s and 80s. The technology and acoustic requirements are no longer sufficient, so we will strip them down to the skeleton and everything will be new," said Kozlovský.

He expects that Brno, as the largest regional studio, will significantly enhance the musical production supplied by Czech Radio stations. "Folk ensembles with ten members can record without any problems, and there is also space for a group with 15 members," Kozlovský stated.

Crucial for the future operation of the building is the renovation of the basement, where most of the installations are original. "During the survey, we found that some things need to be addressed immediately. New water and heating installations are needed, as well as new air conditioning facilities, and also reconstruction of the sewage and electrical installations. This will prepare for the future renovation of the upper floors," explained Kozlovský. Currently, documentation for further reconstruction is being processed. "The goal is to renovate the entire building, but it depends on the management's decision and funds. We have been talking to the heritage experts from the beginning, and it is our effort to return the building to its original appearance and get rid of the layers from later years," said Kozlovský.