The Faculty of Arts in Brno will be renovated according to the project by Pelčák and partners

Brno - Masaryk University in Brno wants to renovate the grounds of the Faculty of Arts. The faculty is one of the four oldest in the university, and its facilities have long been in unsatisfactory condition. The hallways and classrooms look the same as they did when the parents of today's students attended. The cost of the renovation, for which the school intends to obtain funding from European funds, has been estimated by the project designers at 580 million crowns. The construction will enable the establishment of a Center for the Support of the Humanities, the school stated in a press release today.
    According to Rector Petr Fiala, the school has been long seeking funds for the necessary modernization of the faculty. However, it has not received them from the state despite promises. "We therefore chose the route of European funds. We prepared a quality project, and nothing should prevent the faculty from obtaining the necessary resources," he stated. The school is requesting a grant from the Operational Program for Science and Research for Innovations. A decision on the allocation of the grant is expected by the end of the year. In the event of success, the renovation could be completed by 2014.
    According to the project, workers will demolish wing B2 on Arna Novák Street and build a new building in the same location. It will have six above-ground floors and two underground levels. The plans include underground parking and a depository connected to the current library.
    The modern library building is located in the courtyard of the faculty and was opened eight years ago. At that time, it was the largest study library in the Czech Republic with 100,000 titles on shelves and another 300,000 books in storage.
    As part of the planned renewal, the renovation of buildings A and B1, which neighbor building B2, is also planned. The new solution should mainly cater to researchers and doctoral students.
    Buildings A and B1 were built between 1871 and 1872 and 1905 for the city orphanage. The faculty gradually began to utilize them between 1919 and 1923, and they have not been completely renovated since. Building B2 was constructed in 1922 as a temporary structure and was supposed to be replaced by a new building within ten years. However, it ultimately served until last summer, when it had to be closed due to structural integrity issues. As a result, part of the faculty has moved to temporary premises.