The Arnold Villa

The Arnold Villa is part of the oldest villa colony in Brno’s Černá Pole district, which underscores its significant historical, architectural, and urban importance. It was built in the historicist style and later modified in the spirit of Art Deco with elements of Art Nouveau.

In 1862, Josef Arnold, a Bavarian-born architect and builder, constructed the villa as his summer residence. Earlier, Arnold had worked in the architectural office of Heinrich von Ferstl in Vienna, where he contributed to projects on the city’s Ringstrasse. With the intent of building structures in the newly developing Ringstrasse area in Brno, he moved to and settled down in the city. His name is associated with several notable Brno buildings, among them the Red Church, Kounic Palace, and Mahen Theatre. The villa on Drobného street was built near the city centre in an exclusive, newly developing villa colony above Lužánky Park. After several changes of ownership, the villa was eventually purchased by Cecílie Hože, who was related to the Löw-Beer and Tugendhat families, whose villas are located nearby. Cecílie Hože was the last private owner of the villa. After World War II, the villa was used as a kindergarten until 2012.

The villa is a one-storey building with a high basement plinth, situated on a sloping terrain. The basic layout of the building is composed of a longitudinal two-winged section and a transverse single-wing section. The front facade, oriented southwest, features a risalit niche supporting an elevated terrace with ornately decorated wrought-iron railing. A similarly oriented wooden glazed veranda with frames shaped into geometric ornaments is located on the ground floor. The ceilings of the rooms are mostly decorated with ceiling moldings and stucco frames with geometric and floral designs.

The new custodian of the Arnold Villa is the Brno City Museum. In 2021, the museum began a complete reconstruction and refurbishing of the villa, marked by a ceremonial cornerstone laying. The Brno City Hall also decided to provide financial support for the restoration of the villa’s extensive garden. Following the extensive reconstruction, the villa is now open to the public, serving as a venue for gatherings, specialized lectures and conferences, and also offering bookings for wedding ceremonies, tours, garden concerts, and exhibitions.