The foundation is preparing the restoration of Zlín's Zikmund Villa, starting with the refurbishment of the windows

Zlín - The restoration of Zlín's Zikmund Villa began today with the preparation of wooden windows for renovation. The traveler Miroslav Zikmund (1919 to 2021) lived here for nearly 70 years, and the cultural monument is now managed by the Zikmund Villa Foundation. The foundation is gradually restoring the large garden; this year, it plans to renovate the windows, erect a fence, and build a garden shed, said Dagmar Výlupková, director of the foundation, to reporters today. Next year, the construction of a visitor center could follow. The estimated costs for the restoration of the villa are 20 million crowns.

"The windows we have in the villa's bay are atypical; they are of the so-called American type that retract into the facade. This is our most pressing issue because we can only open one window now. We need the windows to be in good condition and restored for operations and other matters," Výlupková stated.

Experts today assessed the condition of the roughly 70-year-old oak windows and familiarized themselves with the technologies used to understand how to proceed with the repairs. The windows were made in the 1950s. They likely functioned so that when the window was pulled up, a mosquito net would automatically descend. Straps also secured the blinds that could be tilted outward. "There's nothing atypical or unusual about it, but it has years behind it," said Libor Urbánek, managing director of the artistic carpentry workshop Tabernákl. The windows have wooden slats that have changed due to humidity, making it difficult to lift them now. After the renovation, they should be fully functional. Next year, the reconstruction of the garage and basement is planned, where a visitor center will be created. The entire northern side of the house must also be uncovered due to damaged insulation in the basement.

The visitor season at the villa will start on March 29. In addition to guided tours, the villa will offer visitors an interactive game, an exhibition about its activities, and a comic about the life of Miroslav Zikmund this year. The villa was built between 1934 and 1935 as a Baťa house for the first governor of the Zlín district, Josef Januštík, and his wife Maria. Nine years later, the building was purchased by Oscar-winning director Elmar Klos, and in 1953, it became the property of Miroslav Zikmund. He had the villa reconstructed into its current form according to the design of architect Zdeněk Plesník. The garden is nearly 9,000 square meters large.

The foundation has been taking care of the villa and garden since 2020 when Zikmund sold it to Zlín entrepreneur and president of the Zlín Film Festival Čestmír Vančura. In accordance with Zikmund's wishes, Vančura founded the foundation that cares for the house and opened it to the public. The interior houses thousands of books and hundreds of items collected from travels around the world. The building has long served as a refuge for artists, writers, and dissidents.