Arnold Villa (AV) is a cultural heritage building located in the oldest Brno residential housing neighbourhood. It is located in close proximity to Villa Tugendhat (VT), the most sought-after tourist attraction of Brno. The villa of Josef Arnold, a renowned Brno builder, was the second building on the slope above the Lužánky park; it was built in 1862 after his own design and subsequently adapted by its next owner C. Hože in Art Deco style. Although the building has preserved its authentic character and a number of original features to this day, the National Heritage Institute keeps it on the List of Endangered Cultural Heritage Buildings in the CZ due to its state of disrepair.
The objective of the project is the rescue and comprehensive heritage conservation of AV; its revitalization will be carried out with regard to its architectural and historical value, the original floorplan and volume design and its new functional use. After the renovation, the Brno City Museum will adapt the building for cultural and educational community purposes. In the attic, there will be a permanent exhibition on the history of AV, the personality of builder J. Arnold and the first residential housing neighbourhood in Brno. Other multifunctional rooms in the villa will serve social activities of the general public. The villa will provide facilities for the Study and Documentation Centre of the VT and other institutions, including the Project partners. AV villa will become part of the international project Iconic Houses Network, bringing together historically important houses accessible to the public (house museums). Museum has long been cooperating on various projects with the National Museum in Norway and with the City of Prague Museum within the Iconic Houses Network. Norwegian partner will consult the methodology of the Arnold Villa restoration and current approaches to the public presentation of history of architecture in houses whose original function was residential.