In Brno at the Grain Market, the renovation of the functionalist bus stop has been completed

Brno - After more than a year and a half of repairs, today in Brno at the Obilní trh, the reconstructed functionalist heritage-protected public transport stop, designed in the 1920s by architect Oskar Poříska, was opened. Architects from Ateliér RAW, Ivan Wahla and Tomáš Rusín, are thrilled with the work of the construction company, as they have managed to restore the stop, which had been deteriorating for many years, to its first-republic functionalist appearance, they said at a press conference.

The stop has stood since 1926 and had not been reconstructed during that time, already being in poor condition. "It could have collapsed at any moment. In the underground part, where the toilets were, the building could be disassembled by hand," said Rusín.

The Brno-střed municipality paid 2.7 million crowns for the reconstruction. The work was prolonged because the original company that started the work in 2015 deviated from the project documentation, and the municipality then selected a new company through a tender. "We are now suing the original company for damages," said Jiří Švachula, a councilor of the municipality (ANO).

The builders managed, with the help of architects, to preserve Poříska's attention to detail. "We successfully restored the original elements of the glazed steel side panels as well as the original doors. The original glass cladding of the back wall, which has not been preserved, was restored to its original dimensions. The floors and steps of the stop, as well as the benches, are made of artificial stone just as they were in the original design. Functionality is also important; the stop will serve passengers," said Wahla.

The toilets, which were originally part of the stop, are now preserved and inaccessible. During the contemplation of the reconstruction, there were also thoughts about establishing a small café. However, due to strict standards and the necessity to bring in water and sewage, the idea was not realized.

Poříska was a significant architect born in 1897. He designed, for example, the Convalaria building at the corner of Česká and Veselá streets, apartments in Bohunice, or an extensive complex of buildings for the Social Institute of the City of Brno.