Behind the aerial trees in Brno lies a gem, the mourning hall of architect Ruller

Brno – Surrounded by a temporary fence and overgrown with shrubs, a valuable modernist building – the funeral hall designed by architect Ivan Ruller – is hidden in Brno-Židenice. It has been out of operation for over 15 years. Water has long been leaking through the roof, as thieves gradually stole the roof covering along with other valuable metals. The city district hall is now preparing a reconstruction of the temporarily secured building. It plans to restore the funeral hall in the Židenice cemetery to its original purpose.

The costs of reconstruction are likely to exceed the originally planned 27 million crowns due to rising prices of construction materials, said vice mayor Petr Kunc today to ČTK. Just around 2005, about 300,000 crowns would have sufficed for repairs, but the city did not release the funds at that time. Later, demolition was even considered, but there were no funds for that either.

Now, the city district hall, which has taken over the funeral hall, is selecting a studio to prepare the project documentation for the repairs. Work could begin next year. The goal is to return to the original state.

Ivan Ruller (1926 to 2018) was one of the most significant Brno architects of the 20th century. He designed the Židenice ceremonial hall in the 1970s, and the building was completed in 1985. Ruller surrounded himself with a team of respected artists who designed the decoration.

In front of the building still stands a sculpture by Olbram Zoubek made of layered lead. The glazed side wall in the foyer of the funeral hall was created by Valér Kováč, and the fence with a motif of the Greek letter omega was designed by Zdeněk Makovský. Some smaller works from the furnishings, such as paintings by Karel Rechlík, are preserved in storage. However, much has already disappeared, especially the bronze elements.

The building as a whole has a unique concept, according to Kunc. It is divided into three zones referring to the mythical world of the living and the dead, separated by the river of oblivion with the ferryman Charon. The water motif is evident, for example, in the stained glass sliding wall by Miroslav Netík, which enclosed the space with the coffin. "The concept works, it has tremendous power," Kunc believes.

The exterior of the building is clad in marble, slate, and wood. It was built during the so-called Action Z, a form of unpaid labor by residents, which affected the craftsmanship of some elements. In places, the marble and slate are crumbling, and inside, the wooden ceiling cladding is collapsing.

Even in the back of the ceremonial hall, many elements have been preserved that document the building's original purpose. Behind heavy doors, there is a tiled mortuary. On the floor of the former office, there are boxes with the names of the deceased that were placed before the coffin.