The library on modern architecture is moving to the Stiassny villa

Brno - The Brno government Stiassny villa will house the library of the former dean of the Faculty of Architecture at the Brno University of Technology (VUT), Vladimír Šlapeta, by December. It contains 6,000 volumes dedicated to buildings from the 1920s to the 1940s. It will become the core of the Center for the Restoration of 20th Century Monuments, which the heritage institute is establishing.
    The center will offer assistance in the form of consulting to investors during the renovations of these buildings. It will start its operations in January 2014, Zdeněk Musil from the Brno heritage institute told ČTK today.
    According to experts, the library is unique. It contains publications that are not available anywhere else in the country. It includes not only books but also foreign magazines, studies, and plans related to so-called architectural modernism, which architect Šlapeta began collecting as a young man in the 1940s.
    He will provide his private library to the heritage officials, so the information can be used in the restoration of buildings from the first half of the last century. The center, which does not currently operate anywhere in Central Europe, will also feature a research room and a lecture hall.
    The creation of the center was primarily prompted by the fact that the procedures for renovating classical historical sites are entirely different from those for modern buildings. These projects from the newer period require a different approach and a more detailed understanding of the technological processes and materials used, noted Petr Kroupa, the director of the South Moravian heritage institute.
    The creators of the center anticipate that its activities will not only cover the Czech Republic but will also offer consulting services to architects, restorers, and heritage professionals from neighboring countries. The center will be located in the Stiassny villa, which is being reconstructed for 179 million crowns.
    The building is considered unique by experts. After its renovation, it will be presented to the public, with plans for its use in lectures and social events. It is interesting not only from an architectural perspective but also because of its history. Fidel Castro spent the night in the building during his visit to Czechoslovakia in 1972.