Jurkovič's villa in Brno will be repaired and accessible next year

Brno - The rare Jurkovič villa in Brno, which was purchased last year by the Moravian Gallery and is preparing for reconstruction, will open to the public at the end of next year. Repairs will cost up to 40 million crowns. Construction and historical surveys, which were completed in the last few days, showed that the overall condition of the Art Nouveau wooden structure with elements of folk architecture is good, and most interventions and changes can be at least partially restored. Experts from the gallery told this to journalists today.
"The current form of the house corresponds fairly well to the project from 1906. Especially the last owners approached the villa very carefully," stated the head of the survey works, Petr Všetečka. He recommends removing the ceiling that had been covered by one of the former owners over the wooden ceiling of the entrance hall. Removing moisture from the basement, which is the only masonry part of the building, should not be difficult, as well as partial repairs to the roofs. Strengthening the structure is essential; the house was built only for family use.
Irrevocably lost is the glass mosaic with fairy tale motifs of a dragon that adorned one of the villa's exterior walls. Historians have not discovered in the archives who had it removed. "There is a model, but not detailed enough for the mosaic to be restored faithfully," said Všetečka. The Moravian Gallery is now planning to commission a new mosaic from some renowned artists that will match the color and style of Jurkovič's design.
A surprise for experts was the fact that the walls of the villa, which has a massive impression, are made of wood covered with cork sheets and plaster. According to Všetečka, this is a unique solution and a distinctive building prototype. "At the same time, it is current; wooden constructions are once again at the center of attention," the expert reminded.
Slovak Dušan Samo Jurkovič (1868 to 1947) is among the most significant architects who worked in the Czech lands at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. He uniquely combined Art Nouveau and other modern styles with the tradition of folk architecture. His famous buildings are at Pustevny in the Beskids, spa facilities in Luhačovice, or modifications of the castle in Nové Město nad Metují. He designed and built the villa in Brno-Žabovřesky for his own needs. "Its significance lies in how the architect managed to combine the most current trends, influences from England and Vienna, and inspiration from folk art," stated curator Martina Straková.
Jurkovič sold the villa during his lifetime; it later changed owners several times. Since the 1960s, it has been a cultural monument, yet it continued to be inhabited by the family of its owners. The Moravian Gallery acquired the property last year for more than 15 million crowns. Funding for the construction and historical surveys was provided by the Ministry of Culture. The gallery intends to fund the reconstruction through a grant from so-called Norwegian funds. "As far as we know, the project is rated well, and I believe that we will obtain the funds," stated the gallery director Marek Pokorný.
Jurkovič's house is not the only remarkable villa in the city over the Svratka and Svitava rivers. In the residential district of Černá Pole, architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe built the Tugendhat villa, which is now the only Brno monument on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and the city is preparing a reconstruction. Experts also value the Reissig villa, the so-called Castle at the exhibition grounds, or the buildings by Bohuslav Fuchs. The Moravian Gallery is considering making Jurkovič’s villa a part of an architectural educational trail that would lead to other remarkable objects in Žabovřesky, Masaryk's district, or Kraví hora.