The Tugendhat villa in Brno is due for minor repairs after a year of operation

photo: David Židlický

Brno - The Brno functionalist villa Tugendhat, listed among UNESCO World Heritage Sites, will be closed for a week in the second half of May so that restorers and builders can repair minor defects. The work will address the garden, hairline cracks in the plaster, and leveling the wrinkled linoleum. Iveta Černá from the villa's management informed ČTK today. The building was opened to the public last year after a renovation costing 172 million Czech crowns. During that time, it was visited by 45,000 people, which is three times more than the usual attendance before the extensive repairs.
     "We have reached the ceiling in attendance. The interest from the global public in the villa is extraordinary. Weekend entries are already booked until the summer holidays. We cannot let in any more tourists," Černá stated. About 40 percent of the visitors are foreigners; the largest group comes from the USA, followed by Germans and Austrians, with Spaniards and people from South America in third place.
      The defects that need to be addressed in May are, according to Černá, matters that were anticipated. Regarding the small cracks in the plaster, she pointed out that eight-meter deep wells had to be dug under the terrace during repairs, and thus the structure is still slightly settling in terms of statics. Leveling the luxurious white linoleum will not be demanding, nor will maintaining the wooden parts of the interior.
      In the garden, it will be necessary to rebuild the stone retaining walls. Minor repairs to the villa will be allotted one week every six months. During this time, the building will be closed to the public. Most of the work will be covered by the original contractors. Over the past year, the villa earned approximately 15 million Czech crowns from ticket sales. This money goes towards its maintenance and operation. About 20 people take care of the villa's operations.
      The property is the most famous functionalist villa in Brno. Experts speak of it as a work that introduced entirely new, revolutionary elements into modern architecture. It is made from the highest quality materials, with the architect emphasizing space, light, and airiness during its creation. A whole wall is glazed, providing a view of Brno, and it can be opened in the summer.
      The villa was commissioned by the industrialist Tugendhat family, who fled from the impending Nazism just before World War II due to their Jewish origins. The villa is property of the city of Brno. The entrance fee for the basic tour is 300 crowns for adults, and 350 crowns for the extended tour. Over 90 percent of visitors are interested in the extended, and thus more expensive, tour.