The repair of the House of Art in Brno will be a third more expensive

Brno - The renovation of the House of Art of the City of Brno will be more expensive. During the construction, which was originally supposed to cost 45 million crowns, it became clear that the funds were insufficient. For example, builders discovered an air raid shelter during the reconstruction, which will need to be filled in to prevent its ceiling from collapsing under someone. Due to the work that was not originally accounted for, the councilors approved an increase in costs. The renovation will require about 60 million crowns, said Deputy Mayor Ladislav Macek to reporters today.
    The air raid shelter was found by workers beneath a part of the building facing the park. It was not discovered in geological boreholes conducted before the construction. Since a small garden for the new café is planned in the area where the shelter is located, the underground structure will be filled in. According to Macek, there were no considerations for repairing and continuing to use the shelter.
    The construction will also increase in cost due to more expensive technologies. For instance, an elevator with a higher capacity will be installed in the building so that gallery owners can transport the exhibited items. Safety glass, which was not originally planned, will be used on the roof during the renovation, the static support of the building will be expanded, and the heating will be improved.
    The House of Art serves as an exhibition institution under the administration of Brno. This year in Brno, it organized the exhibition "Sculptures in the Streets", where sculptors and visual artists installed about 20 objects in the streets of the city for several weeks.
    The House of Art occupies a building on Malinovského Square built in the style of Viennese Secession. The construction from 1910 originally bore the name of Emperor Franz Joseph. It served the German-speaking minority in Brno as an exhibition hall. After World War II, the city took over the building, and architect Bohuslav Fuchs renovated it in the spirit of the so-called Brno functionalism. For many years, the building was home to the Theater Na provázku, now known as Husa na provázku.