Brno will receive almost 40 million CZK from Norwegian funds for the renovation of Arnold's villa

Brno – Brno has received a grant of 38.5 million crowns from the so-called Norwegian funds for the repair of the Arnold Villa, which is adjacent to the famous Tugendhat Villa. It must be utilized within three years. Radka Loukotová from the city hall's press center stated this in a press release today. The repair of the villa will cost around 120 million crowns and could start this autumn.

"The rescue of the Arnold Villa as an architectural monument and the establishment of a Center for Dialogue within its premises is nearing realization from visions and projects. Overall, it will require costs of approximately 120 million crowns, of which the obtained grant will cover about one-third. Additionally, the Museum of the City of Brno wants to revitalize the garden around the villa and make part of the courtyard between Drobného and Černopolní streets accessible to the public in the form of a park. The city plans to apply for a grant from the Operational Program Environmental, with a call expected to be announced sometime this autumn,” said Deputy Mayor Petr Hladík (KDU-ČSL).

There are also plans to connect the garden with the neighboring garden of the Löw-Beer Villa, which has been accessible to the Tugendhat Villa garden via a turnstile since last year. "For this purpose, the Museum of the City of Brno has asked us to entrust the land located between the gardens, which we recommended approving to the councilors today. The project for the revitalization of the garden would thus cover the entire area and include the aforementioned connection of the gardens. This would create a new passage from Lužánky to Černá Pole. It would be another step in strengthening the community character of the place, where people will meet, go for coffee, take a walk, visit an exhibition, participate in discussions, or listen to a lecture or concert,” described Deputy Mayor Tomáš Koláčný (Pirates).

The house is located 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 and was then left vacant. During a structural-historical survey, many original features were found, such as flooring and window fittings.

The Museum of the City of Brno is preparing for the villa a multifaceted use. Lectures and discussions can be held on the ground floor. A Center for Dialogue will also be established, focusing on issues of Czech-German-Jewish relations. There are also plans for a café, a permanent exhibition on the history of the villa, spaces for short-term exhibitions, a research room, or an archive.