Information Center and Exhibition of Sacred Art of the Brno Diocese

Petrov is a rock, a rock bearing the spiritual heart of the city - the Brno Cathedral. We tried to find and create spaces within this rock that lead each of us on a journey to our own heart. Spaces for quiet, calm, and contemplation related to the life journey of Christ.
The origins of the Petrov 1 house date back to the 13th century. From the beginning, it was vaulted in two levels and was likely part of the fortification system of St. Peter's hill. It also included a cubical stair tower of Gothic origin, protruding from the eastern outline. A significant reconstruction of the house took place at the beginning of the 17th century. During the reconstruction, the house was expanded by a second wing and integrated with a stair tower, featuring a rebuilt and vaulted staircase. In 2006, the Diocese of Brno undertook the reconstruction and renovation of the house for the Information and Contact Center and the exhibition of sacred art of the Brno diocese.
On the ground floor of the building, an entrance hall has been designed with a glazed information pylon carrying a map of the Petrov area and a baroque statue of an angel inviting visitors to enter with an outstretched hand. The hall features touch screens providing information about the Brno diocese, architectural monuments of the diocese, churches in Brno, and the Petrov area. On the left side is the information center and a ticket sales area. The building is designed as a container made of bamboo veneer, integrated into the existing space with a baroque angel carrying the tablets of the Ten Commandments. The room also contains reconstructed functional Empire-style stoves. On the right side of the entrance hall is the contact center room. This space offers seating, internet access, book and print rental, hosting of intimate lectures, and film and document projections.
From the original baroque stairs in the cubical Gothic tower, visitors descend into the exhibition space of Vita Christi. To create a sense of intimacy, the exhibition rooms are equipped with polished lime plaster with black-gray pigment. The floor, containing all technical distributions, is made of black slate tiles. The stairs in the exhibition were made of solid steel plates.
The unifying theme of the displayed collection is the events of Christ's life - Vita Christi. The thematic concept allowed for working with the exhibits in a way that evokes their conceptual origins and richness of meanings, related to their original mission in the sacred space and liturgical practice. The installation approach using pedestals of solid steel sheets and the addition of contemporary scenic objects that refer not only to the "actual" essence but also to the symbolic significance of the gospel stories encourages personal interpretation. The small spaces and irregular floor plan required completely individual solutions, different from the arrangement of most classical exhibition halls and museum displays. However, a unique opportunity for presentation arose in a historical environment and in the closest contact with the viewer—a possibility of meeting "face to face".