Brno can apply for EU funding for the renovation of the Tugendhat villa

Brno - The functionalist Tugendhat villa may be largely repaired with European money. Initially, it was not possible to apply for European grants for the restoration of monuments, and if the owners wanted to obtain them, they had to apply for support for tourism, for example. However, the situation has changed for UNESCO monuments. In the integrated operational program, a title for financing their repairs has appeared, and Brno can thus obtain over 100 million crowns for the Tugendhat villa. The mayor's assistant Daniel Rychnovský said this to journalists today.
    The exact cost of repairing the villa is not yet certain. The city hall will announce a tender for the project and restoration work soon. According to Rychnovský, however, in a previous, later canceled competition, a figure of 150 million crowns was mentioned. This time, however, the amount should be lower, as some parts of the interior furnishings will not be restored in the complex way originally proposed by the designers, he stated.
    The Tugendhat villa is a significant UNESCO monument, so according to Rychnovský, we can hope for a successful application. He admitted, however, that years of ongoing disputes among architects could complicate everything. "We would be foolish not to take these matters into account," he said. However, according to him, the city hall must push forward the intention to repair, as heritage conservationists have set a deadline for the completion of the restoration, and most of the work must be completed by 2011.
    "It is logical that this matter will be complicated, that we will grapple with the passions of individual groups of architects throughout this time, but even so, we cannot let this monument fall," he stated.
    The repair of the villa has been planned for years; the original tender for the designer was canceled by the council last year after years of disputes among architects. This year, they announced a new competition - this time for the complete supply of heritage restoration as well as its design. An external company is currently drafting the tender conditions for the city hall.
    The Tugendhat villa was designed for a plot in Brno's Černá Pole by architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886 to 1969) in 1928. The villa set new standards for modern living. The glass main living space with a winter garden is only hintingly divided by free walls, thereby realizing the architect's idea of a continuous living space. The object also had original interior furnishings, including solutions for bathrooms and heating.