Jurkovič's villa will welcome its first visitors in April

Brno - The rare Jurkovič villa in Brno will open to the public in April after a complete renovation. The Moravian Gallery in Brno has invested approximately 35 million crowns from the so-called Norwegian funds into the restoration of this valuable building and the establishment of a permanent exhibition in recent years. Interested visitors can register for tours in the first days after the opening through the reservation form on the villa's website, said gallery spokesperson Martina Vašková to ČTK. Yesterday, invited guests viewed the results of the renovation for the first time.
    The gallery will combine the opening of the villa with the celebrations of its 50th anniversary. The gallery in its current form was established on April 1, 1961, by merging the art gallery of the former Františkova Museum and the Brno Museum of Applied Arts. In addition to three palaces in the city center, the gallery also manages the birthplace of Josef Hoffmann in Brtnice near Jihlava. Jurkovič's villa will now be a new addition to its offerings.
    "After extensive reconstruction, it has transformed into a specific museum space that will enrich the map of cultural monuments in our city and provide visitors with new knowledge and experiences," said Marek Pokorný, director of the Moravian Gallery.
    People will be able to visit the villa throughout the year. From April to October, it will be open every day of the week except Mondays, and from November to March only on Thursdays, Fridays, and weekends. The basic admission fee is 100 crowns. In addition to the exhibition dedicated to the architect and original villa owner Dušan Jurkovič, the building also features a research room and a documentation center for Jurkovič's work.
    The building, constructed in 1906, is one of the pinnacle examples of modernist architecture inspired by British and Vienna styles with elements of folk art. The renovation included repairs to the roof, facade, wooden structures, and windows. Wood is indeed one of the primary building materials of the villa. The garden has also been revitalized and modified. The villa's facade was adorned with a new painted glass with a fairy-tale motif created by Josef Bolf. The original glass mosaic by Adolf Kašpar has not survived.
    Architect Jurkovič built the villa in Brno-Žabovřesky in 1906 for his own needs. However, he lived there only briefly. After that, it was inhabited by private owners who were aware of the building's value and spared it from irreversible changes and modifications. The Moravian Gallery purchased the house in 2006 for 15 million crowns.