New Brno icon "Cloud" will shine above the city, signaling the opening of the Museum of Applied Arts

The Moravian Gallery will reopen the gates of the Museum of Applied Arts in Brno after nearly three years of reconstruction. For Brno design, this is the event of the century: the exhibition on the history of design will meet here with a presentation of the best of contemporary design. The program of the ceremonial opening is scheduled for November 25-28. The opening will also include the launch of an interactive object called "Mrak" on the museum's terrace, designed by architect Marek Štěpán.

On November 18, a test launch of this exterior object from Atelier Štěpán took place. Access stairs and a ramp, several mirrored functional objects, and the design object "Mrak" are integrated into the traditional meeting place on the museum's terrace. This creates and emphasizes the entrance to the museum from the side of the city center. It is designed as a pneumatic cushion with internal overpressure consisting of two layers. These layers form a synclastically curved spatial area made of matte ETFE foil in the shape of a kidney. The cushion is secured with a network of stainless steel cables above the upper and below the lower foil to prevent excessive deflection due to wind and snow. Inside the cushion are controllable RGB lights that emit an inner glow, metaphysical light atmospheres, or images of moving matrices. In addition to light, "Mrak" can also emit sounds that, like the light, respond to stimuli from the environment or can be part of a deliberately composed audiovisual show.

"I never thought I would design an object like Mrak. The environment of the Museum of Applied Arts in Brno, which I have been visiting since childhood, and the people within it inspired me to do this. Mrak is a changing exhibit and a kind of embodied heart of the gallery. I sought its artistic prototypes in Czech visual arts – in the clouds of Josef Šíma, in the works of surrealists, and in the walking city of Ron Herron," describes architect Marek Štěpán.

The multimedia activity of "Mrak," which has an area of 300 m², will mainly focus on special occasions and events at the Museum of Applied Arts. "Mrak can become Brno's oracle, responding to your questions," adds Marek Štěpán.