In Brno, the Münzova villa by Ernst Wiesner is being renovated

Brno - The Brno functionalist Münz Villa faces an uncertain future, built between 1924 and 1926 by the famous architect Ernst Wiesner. On Thursday, extensive reconstruction began, which was properly announced and authorized, aimed at restoring its original form, spokesperson for the Brno-střed municipality Roman Burián said today to ČTK. However, problems have arisen, and it is likely that the owner of the building will request its demolition from the authorities.
     "The building prior to reconstruction had little in common with its pre-war appearance. It is precisely to that appearance that it should return after reconstruction. These construction modifications were permitted, but the owner has not yet requested demolition," Burián emphasized.
     According to available information, it was discovered during the construction work that the building has disrupted statics and poor foundations. ČTK has not yet been able to obtain a statement from the owner of the villa. A representative of the owner mentioned on Czech Television that if the building had to be demolished, the investor would build a replica of the house.
     Although the Münz Villa belongs to architecturally interesting buildings, it is not on the list of monuments, unlike the Stiassny villa, also known as the government villa, which is adjacent to it on Hroznová Street.
     The current modifications to the Münz Villa have raised concerns among some heritage protectors. However, the reconstruction of the building was permitted not only by the building authority but also by the heritage care department of the Brno magistrate.
     The villa was built by the famous architect for the director of the Czech Bank Union, Eduard Münz. Wiesner used for the villa his characteristic layout divided into two wings with different functional purposes. The house consists of three cubes and is built on an L-shaped plan in a sloping garden. Today, the majority owner of the villa is a development company.

photo: Tomáš Růžička