The Brno-Židenice district has commenced the renovation of the mourning hall designed by architect Ruller

Brno - The Brno-Židenice district today commenced the reconstruction of the mourning hall from 1983, which is one of the significant buildings designed by the architect Ivan Ruller. The hall was in poor condition and has been closed since 2007, facing the threat of demolition. Two years ago, the district took over the hall and began working on the project. The reconstruction is expected to cost around 38.5 million crowns, with most of it being covered by a grant from the city council. It is set to be completed within two years, said the mayor of Židenice, Petr Kunc (Voice for Židenice), to ČTK.

The work on the restoration of the hall, which has a capacity of over 100 people, will last no longer than 24 months. "It will probably be even sooner. The workers are now starting with the construction of a new access to the hall, after which the building will be cleared and preparations for construction work will begin," Kunc stated. He added that the aim of the district is for the hall to resemble the original building as much as possible after the reconstruction. The project does not account for any changes.

The hall also includes a number of unique works. Most of them are currently stored elsewhere due to the construction work, while some are awaiting restoration. "Only three works remain that are associated with the building. These include the sculpture by Olbram Zoubek, the glass sculpture by Valér Kováč, and the plaster relief by Tomáš Ruller. We have secured them so that they are not damaged by the construction work," Kunc added. The city has received a grant of nearly 28 million from the city council for the reconstruction and project. The remainder will be financed from its own budget.

Architect Ivan Ruller passed away in 2018 at the age of 91. His signature can be seen in buildings such as the Janáček Theatre and the Rondo ice hockey arena. The complete inventory of works that Ruller contributed to the modern architectural collection includes over 500 items. He was a student of Bohuslav Fuchs and Bedřich Rozehnal, and he was strongly influenced by functionalism, modernism, and interwar culture in general, as well as French brutalism.