This uniquely designed semi-detached building – two houses with a shared wall – was built in 1912–1914 for members of the prominent Krondl family in what was then the Czech Civil Servants’ Quarter. One of the quarter’s most valuable buildings, the double villa mixes original architectural forms in the style of geometric modernism with elements of Slavic folk architecture, further influenced by English culture and the philosophy of family living. It was constructed on parcels originally marked on the site plan of the Brno Civil Servants’ Building Cooperative as plots V and VI and later entered into the land registry as building plots no. 750 and 751. The right half (Krondlova 20) was built by Antonín and Olga Krondl, and the left half (Krondlova 22) was built by their son Vladimír and his wife Milena. The Krondls acquired the properties from the Civil Servants’ Building Cooperative in May 1912. According to the contract, the double house was to be built within three years, according to plans previously submitted to the cooperative for approval. The plans were probably drafted by Valentin Hrdlička, who was the cooperative’s chief architect at the time and who also designed several of the other villas in the neighbourhood, although his authorship has yet to be documented by any primary sources. The houses were built by Ludvík Němeček of Žabovřesky, whose services the cooperative recommended to its members.
The secondary-school teacher Antonín Krondl was also a stenographer who developed a shorthand system for Slavic languages and published his own journal, Těsnopisná beseda (The Shorthand Forum). Today, Krondlova Street is named after him. His wife Olga was the director of the Vesna Association for Women’s Education and was active in numerous charitable activities. His son Vladimír had been a professor of mathematics and physics at a local women’s teaching institute since 1907. Vladimír Krondl’s son Vladimír Jr. met a tragic fate: as an active scout, he joined the anti-German resistance while in his fifth year at Brno Technical University’s Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering (the 1939/1940 academic year). Imprisoned at the Kounic dormitories, an unfortunate series circumstances resulted in him being shot by a guard on 14 February 1941.
The double villa’s distinctive silhouette facing Krondlova Street is characterized by a double half-hip roof above a projecting concave soffit painted with a folkloristic floral motif. The two halves of the asymmetrical main elevation differ in composition, giving the overall building a certain dynamic expression. The entrance to no. 20 is via a broad front porch that transitions into a three-sided oriel, while no. 22 is entered from the side, and its front elevation is dominated by a three-sided oriel extending across both storeys. The building’s overall look is significantly defined by the intricately structured double casement windows with delicate frame profiles. Above the tall stone socle, the facade is covered with smooth lime render up to the height of the windows; the same smooth render is also used under the roof, while the larger part of the facade is covered in a roughly textured render.
Much of the original layout in no. 20 has been preserved. The ground floor was home to the main living area, which extended into the three-sided oriel. The living room was connected to the kitchen, bathroom and anteroom, from where a wooden staircase led up to the first floor. Number 22 has been significantly expanded by a rear addition. The composition of the garden part suggests that the original design envisaged combining the two buildings and properties.
Together, the pair of houses form a rare well-preserved ensemble. They recently underwent heritage-sensitive renovation, which rehabilitated the main elevation, including the original appearance of the render and the floral ornamentation. In 2023, the two houses were jointly designated a cultural monument.
Pavla Cenková
