Invitation to the opening of the lookout tower in Brno on Kamenný vrch

On Saturday, September 17 at 2 PM, the newly restored lookout tower on Kamenný vrch in the forest park above Raisova Street in Brno will be ceremoniously opened. This summer, the restoration of the forest park, which once served as a recreational area for patients of the sanatorium and other residents of Brno, was successfully completed. For many years, the forest park was left to nature's development and decay, with structures hidden in the greenery slowly falling into oblivion. Now, some of them are coming back to life.

The forest park was established as part of the healing complex of the "City Health Insurance Fund" before World War I. In the forest park, there were several facilities serving the recovery of patients (swimming pool, rest area, bowling alley, observation tower, rosarium), as well as for the operation of the sanatorium (women's pavilion, water reservoir). The sanatorium, in its original form, was closed in 1948 for political reasons, and a city hospital was established in the sanatorium building, while residential buildings were sold off to private individuals, and the structures in the forest park suffered complete devastation, as the neglected forest park was left to uncontrolled development. Currently, the former sanatorium houses a Convalescent and Rehabilitation Department, part of the University Hospital of St. Anne.

The entire restoration originated from the initiative of the City District of Brno Nový Lískovec, with the project developed by Atelier Štěpán from 2008 to 2011. Environmental considerations were taken into account throughout the plan.

The current phase has continued from a two-year-old restoration of the greenery. Its concept is based on the contrast between the central, newly landscaped park zone and the surrounding forest areas, which are left to natural development. First, it was necessary to remove all hazardous trees, undesirable dense growths of invasive species in originally landscaped zones, and overcrowded groups of conifers. Across the entire forest park, it was essential to eliminate invasive species of trees. On the areas cleared of trees, lawns were established, and steep slopes were covered with anti-erosion coconut mats. To emphasize the park character, additional species of trees were planted, mainly for diversification purposes. Another priority became the reconstruction of the so-called backbone path, connecting two significant entrances to the forest park.
In 2010, a new well was drilled as a water source for the needs of the forest park.
This year saw the reconstruction of the existing reinforced concrete structures - the original lookout tower and swimming pool, the construction of electrical and water connections, additional paths, and the furnishing of the forest park with furniture and an information system.

The original lookout tower was in a state of disrepair. A poetic reconstruction was carried out, resulting from a contemporary functional solution and a slightly shifted perception of the structure. During the restoration of the original lookout tower, it was necessary to secure the structure statically and create a new surface for the monolithic construction. This lookout tower now functions as a gazebo, with access to the observation platform on the roof available by appointment. The building also features a niche with running water and a reservoir from the underground well.

The preserved reinforced concrete swimming pool once served as a rehabilitation swimming area, probably with changing rooms and facilities. Water was pumped from a well, which is now located on private property.
This year, the pool was statically repaired and restored, its depth reduced to 0.5 m for safety reasons, and it now functions as a pond. Water flows into it from the new well through a "gutter," and excess water seeps into the areas below the pool.
The area around the pool is landscaped for seating and "dragonfly watching."

Starting this September, the forest park will thus be open to visitors not only from the adjacent housing estates of Nový Lískovec and Bohunice but also to Brno residents and others…