Heritage protectors did not approve the glazed roofing of the courtyard of Špilberk Castle in Brno

Brno – The National Heritage Institute will not allow a permanent glass roof to be placed over the inner courtyard of Špilberk Castle in Brno. The decision was reported today by the server Novinky.cz. According to Zdeněk Váchy, the director of the Brno branch of the NPÚ, a permanent roof would change the appearance, expression, and overall atmosphere of the castle, the server reported.

According to Váchy, no other form of roofing that would look historical is possible over the courtyard, he told Novinky. "We know that all attempts to create something like this have always been unsuccessful. However, mobile and temporary roofing makes sense to us," the server quoted Váchy.

The preparation of a professional study, which was supposed to outline the design of the roofing, was approved by Brno city councilors last fall. The Brno City Museum, which is based at Špilberk, then requested the city as its founder to partially use the funds allocated for mobile roofing for a feasibility study and potential project preparation.

Zbyněk Šolc, the director of the Brno City Museum, told Novinky that the museum had anticipated the decision of the heritage authorities and would act accordingly. He stated that due to the lack of roofing, organizers often have to interrupt or postpone programs. Numerous concerts and the Summer Shakespeare Festival are held at Špilberk each year.

According to the server, Šolc would like to obtain mobile roofing by the start of the summer season of 2028. It is supposed to be a tarp that will be stretched over a metal structure. The museum wants to follow up on the designs for mobile roofing created three years ago by architecture students from Brno University of Technology.