Admirers of Brno Functionalism Have Acquired a Web Manual

Brno - Admirers of functionalist architecture in Brno have acquired a practical tool for planning trips. Experts have made available online the so-called Brno Architectural Manual, which offers suitable walking routes and is also a source of verified information about buildings and architects. The project, funded by European funds, also includes signage of routes in the streets, a printed map, and an audio guide narrated by prominent figures from Brno. A printed book guide is also in preparation.
    The project has no equivalent in the Czech Republic or abroad, claim its authors. The idea came from Rostislav Koryčánek, the director of the House of Art of the City of Brno. The preparation of the manual lasted three years. Thanks to a three million grant from the EU, the team of authors has so far documented the famous functionalist period in Brno from 1918 to 1945. However, the manual has greater ambitions.
    "From the beginning, we have planned to cover the entire period from the mid-19th century to the present day in a similar way. The next steps will depend mainly on funding,”" said Petra Hlaváčková from the team of authors to ČTK today. The existing database can be easily supplemented with more routes and objects.
    There are nearly 400 buildings in the database with details about their exact addresses and GPS coordinates. People can also search for practical information about the nearest public transport stops, heritage protection, or accessibility of objects for the public. The team of art historians and architects has also compiled a brief history of most of the buildings, the circumstances of their creation, and the life stories of their owners and architects. All information is available in three language versions - Czech, English, and German.
    An interesting feature is the audio recordings of texts related to individual objects, directed by Radovan Lipus. The recordings were narrated by actors from the Brno HaDivadlo, Simona Peková and Cyril Drozda. Introductions to individual routes were voiced by personalities associated with the Brno cultural scene - for example, writer Jiří Kratochvil, architect Ivan Ruller, composer Miloš Štědroň or members of the music group Čokovoko. Audio recordings can be listened to on the internet or downloaded to portable devices to be played during walks at individual sites.
    So far, the Brno Architectural Manual offers nine basic trails for functionalist architecture. They lead through residential neighborhoods, such as Černá Pole, Žabovřesky, and Masaryk's Quarter, but also around the exhibition grounds, through the city center, and to the periphery in the south of the city. Interested parties can also project individual trails online onto historical maps of Brno. Individual stops are marked in the field only by discreet codes in the pavement. The authors expect that visitors will look up information about the building using the code by, for example, using a mobile phone web browser.
    Tourists also have printed maps available. A printed guide will be published in the spring of 2012. The manual could become an important tool for popularizing the architectural wealth of the city of Brno, the authors believe. Between the world wars, a number of extraordinary buildings of modern architecture were created in Brno. They were left by architects such as Bohuslav Fuchs, Jindřich Kumpošt, Ernst Wiesner, and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, whose Villa Tugendhat is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Other famous buildings include the Avion hotel, the Nový dům villa colony, and the exhibition area.