Metrostav DIZ Completes School with “Hogwarts” Staircase in Brno

“Keep an eye on the staircase, it likes to change.” The new Brno Secondary School building in Charbulova ulice will probably become a favourite target of Harry Potter catchphrases. This is suggested by the “floating” central staircase, which seems to have come directly from of the castle at Hogwarts. It is anchored to the surrounding structures only at the entry and exit flights. The levitating impression is enhanced by the fact that the staircase rises towards a majestic skylight. Metrostav DIZ builders are putting the finishing touches to the new building, so that it can welcome students with the start of the new school year in September.

“The central staircase is clearly the dominant architectural feature in the entire building. We had quite a bit of fun with it, because it is not a jigsaw puzzle made of prefabricated materials, but a monolithic concrete structure that we cast completely on site,” revealed Radovan Jašek, the main construction manager from Metrostav DIZ, adding: “I’m also very proud of the impressive space on the roof, which will be the envy of the Brno students’ peers all over the country. It combines aesthetic, environmental and purely practical values, as it includes a solar-powered system for heating utility water, green space and a large wood-plastic terrace that directly invites people to meet and relax.” 

The new school building was built opposite the existing one. It stands out, above all, for its minimal energy consumption and many modern environmentally-friendly features. It has a ventilated and insulated façade, exterior blinds and aluminium windows, as well as an “energy channel”, which allows the new building to be connected to central heat supplies from Brno Heating and Power Plant. The idea of sustainable development is further supported by the use of rainwater for flushing toilets.

The Metrostav DIZ builders were forced to improvise several times during construction, for the first time at the very beginning. Due to the higher groundwater level, the projected monolithic foundations had to be replaced by a “white tub”, i.e. a reinforced concrete structure which, in addition to its structural function, also performs a waterproofing function. In the next phase of the project, they struggled with some details on the cladding. With regard to the proposed schedule, it was necessary to have it made before the construction project was surveyed. Thanks to the workers’ craftsmanship, however, the prescribed accuracy was maintained.

The largest secondary school in South Moravia provides education in the fields of HoReCa, commerce and services. In recent years, it has been increasing its enrolment capacity while looking for replacements for some existing facilities that are already in disrepair. The modern pavilion in Charbulova ulice will offer more than twenty classrooms and shops selling apprentices’ products, as well as hairdressing and cosmetics salons. It will include, for example, a photo studio and a darkroom for developing films. The connecting overhead corridor is a way to move not only from the old building to the new one, but enables wheelchair-friendly access to both buildings.  

The project, entitled “Extension to Building A of Brno Secondary School Brno, Charbulova” is being performed by Metrostav DIZ for the South Moravian Region. Construction began in late 2022 and should be completed before the start of the new school year. Total investment costs amount to CZK 215 m.

Contact details

Radim Mana
Metrostav Group Spokesman
Metrostav a.s. Koželužská 2450/4 180 00 Prague 8
T 266 019 715, M 601 110 376
radim.mana@metrostav.cz, www.metrostav.cz