<div>Vila Stiassny in Brno is open to the public from today.</div>

Brno - Today, Brno opened the Stiassny Villa after a three-year reconstruction costing 180 million crowns. At the same time, it launched the Methodological Center for Modern Architecture in Brno, which will allow experts, students, and other visitors to delve deeper into the architecture of the 20th century, said Jana Tichá, spokesperson for the National Heritage Institute.
    The restored villa was inspected by Brno Mayor Petr Vokřál (ANO). "I had the opportunity to see the building before the reconstruction, and I must say it is a huge change. The villa has received a completely different dimension, and it is now part of a training center. For me, the tour was a remarkable experience," he said. He believes that the public will appreciate the monument-protected object. "I hope that the villa will attract more foreign tourists to Brno," Vokřál added.
    According to the director of the restoration center for monuments, Petr Kroupa, the restoration of the functionalist villa was demanding. The building was not only structurally reconstructed, but experts also restored the interiors to their original state according to historical documents. The costs were covered 85% by the European Union, with the remainder paid by the state.
    The most challenging aspect was ensuring the statics, as the concrete pillars of the villa were made from poor-quality material. There were cracks in the building's walls. "Problems arose during open house days when hundreds of people walked through the villa. Therefore, experts reinforced the building with steel cables and very thin, but extraordinarily strong carbon fibers that are used in the production of technical devices sent into space," Kroupa stated.
    The villa was commissioned in 1927 by textile industrialist Alfred Stiassny according to the design of architect Arnošt Wiesner. During socialism, it was used by the government. Heritage experts only recently discovered what the building's interiors originally looked like. During communism, the walls were painted white and gray, which also concealed built-in furniture. The original floors were once covered with low-quality linoleum at the direction of the building's management. It was only after the removal of the coatings that it became apparent that the walls were originally ochre and yellow. The linoleum also concealed a staircase made of finished concrete.
    The Stiassny Villa is not as famous as the Tugendhat Villa in Brno, listed on the UNESCO heritage list, yet according to experts, it is unique in its architecture. Its creator used the most modern elements of his time, while placing the villa among greenery. The visitor feels as if they are not in the middle of Brno, but in nature.