Repairs of the Tugendhat villa will cost an additional 18 million

Brno - The repair of the protected Tugendhat villa in Brno will cost 18 million crowns more than originally stated in the contracts. The increase in costs was defended today by the mayor's deputy Robert Kotzian (ODS). According to him, a significant portion of the price increase is due to the involvement of an international commission of experts in the reconstruction. The city hall accepted their requests, Kotzian told reporters today. The costs have risen to 165 million crowns.
    Experts recommended, for example, that stronger travertine be used than originally planned. They also preferred a different surface treatment for the furniture, a different technology for coating metal elements, and adjustments to the electrical installations in the furniture. Further price increases occurred due to the makasar wall. "Originally, a replica was to be made, but we managed to obtain fragments of the original wall," Kotzian stated. It was precisely with their acquisition that the additional costs arose.
    According to Mayor Roman Onderka (ČSSD), the company and heritage preservationists are carefully documenting the reconstruction process. Every hidden part of the building, whether in the walls, ceilings, or underground, is photographed upon uncovering, numbered, and the experts record everything in a computer. "The program allows for the building to be disassembled in parts and to address the financial costs associated with it. It is possible to calculate to the crown how the work progressed," Onderka described. According to him, this will help prevent potential speculation about corruption. The system aims to recommend to Minister of Culture Jiří Besser (TOP 09) for the reconstruction of other heritage sites, at least UNESCO sites.
    Heritage preservationists are preparing for the opening of the villa. They have proposed, for example, that all informational signs and traffic signs be removed from the road and sidewalk in front of the villa. They also want to abolish parallel parking on the road. "We want the view of the villa to reflect the time when the Tugendhat family lived in it," the deputy stated. The goal is for anyone who wants to photograph the villa from the opposite sidewalk not to capture any contemporary elements in the frame.
    The Tugendhat villa is the only Czech building of modern art listed on the UNESCO list. It has been under reconstruction since last year.

> www.tugendhat.eu.