The operation of the Arnold Villa was initiated by a conference, and it will be open to the public starting in January

Brno - The expert conference describing the heritage restoration of the building today solemnly opened the Arnold villa in the Black Fields of Brno. The four-story villa with a turret will gradually open to the public starting from mid-January, said Zbyněk Šolc, the director of the Museum of the City of Brno, which manages the villa.

In January, two permanent exhibitions will begin to take shape. The one on the second floor will be created in collaboration with the Jewish community of Brno and will map the history of Jews in Brno, while visitors on the third floor will find the Genius Loci exhibition dedicated to the architect and builder of the villa, Josef Arnold, the history of the building, and its architectural development.

"Starting in January, staff will begin working in the villa to prepare tour routes, educational programs, and cultural events as well as permanent exhibitions. We hope to have a pilot event in the villa by the end of January, and everything will be fully operational with the opening of the garden in mid-May," said Šolc.

In the villa, which the museum plans to open likely from Wednesday to Sunday, people will have the opportunity to visit permanent exhibitions, explore the tour routes independently or with a guide, and everything will be complemented by morning educational programs for schools and evening cultural events or lectures.

The restoration of the heritage site cost 130 million crowns, of which 38.5 million was successfully obtained from Norwegian funds. The restoration of the extensive garden will cost an additional 20 million crowns, which will be financed from the budget of Brno.

During the reconstruction of the villa, the builders aimed to preserve as many original elements as possible, which was successful in the staircase, a large part of the windows, and cladding.

The house stands in close proximity to the accessible Tugendhat and Löw-Beer villas, but it is older. It was built for builder Josef Arnold in the 1860s. The last private owners of the villa perished during World War II. From the 1950s until 2013, the villa served as a kindergarten, after which it was nearly empty and deteriorating for almost a decade. During a structural-historical survey, a number of original elements, such as flooring or window fittings, were found.