BUT, Faculty of Civil Engineering

The Faculty of Civil Engineering at Brno University of Technology is located within a historic complex on Veveří Street in Brno. This representative Neo-Baroque ensemble, built between 1907 and 1911, forms one of the pillars of technical education in the city and continues to serve its original purpose – the education of future civil engineering professionals.

The establishment of the school was confirmed in 1899 by a decree of Emperor Franz Joseph I. The architectural programme was designed by Michal Ursíny, whose originally ambitious concept was reduced for financial reasons to three main pavilions: the main building, the civil engineering pavilion, and the mechanical engineering pavilion. The construction was carried out by the Prague-based builder Václav Nekvasil according to the designs by Ursíny and Josef Bertl, while detailed drawings were prepared by the Viennese architect Karel Douda. The main building was officially opened on 25 June 1911. The complex was later expanded with a chemical engineering pavilion designed by Karel Hugo Kepka (1914–1920) and a mechanical engineering pavilion by Vladimír Fischer (1925–1928).

A significant turning point came in 1951, when the complex on Veveří Street was taken over by the newly established Military Technical Academy, which used it for forty years. During this period, the Faculty of Civil Engineering was dispersed across multiple locations in Brno, with its main seat established in the former alumnate building on Barvičova Street.

The complex is remarkable for its palace-like Baroque composition, enhanced by rich sculptural decoration and a façade articulated by three risalits. The buildings are harmoniously arranged around an honour courtyard. The interior features a monumental entrance hall with a three-flight staircase leading to a grand two-storey assembly hall. The overall concept and decorative detailing reference late Theresian Baroque, giving the building a distinctive character from the moment of its completion.

In 1991, the complex was returned to the administration of the Brno University of Technology and subsequently underwent extensive revitalisation and modernisation in several phases. These interventions were awarded the title Building of the South Moravian Region in 2013. The contemporary appearance of the complex is complemented by modern architectural elements, such as glazed covered bridges and walkways that functionally connect the historic buildings into a unified whole. In addition to the historic core, the faculty now also includes the state-of-the-art AdMaS research centre at the Pod Palackého vrchem campus.