Department of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery Department, St. Anne's University Hospital, and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk Univerzity

The building of today’s Clinic of Plastic Surgery in Královo Pole, located on Berkova Street, was originally established in 1912 as the Sanatorium of Dr. Jan Navrátil, a prominent Brno surgeon. The present-day main building was created by reconstructing two residential houses and was extended in 1926 by adding a central section with a staircase and elevator.

The sanatorium was set in an ornamental garden with an orchard, a vegetable plot, and a greenhouse, creating a harmonious and peaceful environment for patients. During World War II, the building was partially bombed, but it underwent modernization between 1945 and 1948 under the leadership of Dr. Milan Navrátil—adoptive son of the founder and stepson of the writer Rudolf Těsnohlídek.

After the nationalization in 1948, the sanatorium was incorporated into the St. Anne’s Faculty Hospital as the Institute of Plastic Surgery. Under the leadership of Prof. Václav Karfík, the institute focused primarily on burn surgery and cleft operations. During this time, the Navrátil family apartment in the western part of the building was converted into a children’s ward, the chapel was transformed into a bathroom, and the well—once an essential water source during wartime—was filled in.

In the 1970s, under the leadership of Prof. Bařinka, a new microsurgery pavilion was added to the garden, reflecting the clinic’s expanding specialization. The most distinctive architectural addition, however, came in 1984 with the construction of the Replantation Centre, designed by architect Zdeněk Müller. This structure features a unique dome inspired by the geodesic designs of Buckminster Fuller. Its steel frame, metal cladding, and rows of windows with yellow frames became a new symbol of modern medical care. The dome houses operating theatres, an intensive care unit, and a lecture hall in its upper section, and is connected to the main building by a glass walkway.

Today, the complex represents a functional blend of historical and modern architecture, rooted in strong family and professional heritage. The personal stories of the Navrátil family, along with the clinic’s rich medical legacy, make the building on Berkova Street not only an important healthcare institution but also a site of memory, bearing witness to the evolution of medicine, architecture, and society throughout the 20th century.