Brno
Look up,About
the Project
Looking up makes you happy!
It doesn't end with the City Guide!
Embark on a fresh adventure in Brno with "Look Up
Brno," a city guide designed to shift your perspective.
This map encourages you to raise your eyes above the
usual sights and uncover hidden gems adorning the
city's rooftops and facades. Whether you're a curious kid
or just young at heart, "Look Up Brno" is your passport to
a city waiting to be seen from a different angle.
This guide invites you to put away your devices, take a
break from the screen, and engage your senses in the
real world. With "Look Up Brno," each turn in the city
unveils a new discovery, from rooftop sculptures to
unexpected murals. It's a celebration of the often-missed
details that add character to Brno's landscape. So, let
your surroundings captivate you, and use this map to
navigate through a city that's rich in history and art, one
elevation at a time. Get ready to rediscover Brno's beauty
– it's right above your eyes.
After a day of exploring Brno with Look Up City Guide,
users are encouraged to continue their journey through
the city's wonders on Instagram. The project extends its
presence on social media to provide a dynamic and
ever-expanding collection of noteworthy places. By
following Look Up Brno on Instagram, users can discover
even more hidden corners, intriguing spaces, and
unique experiences that make Brno an exceptional destination.
This interactive platform allows individuals to
share their own discoveries and connect with a community
that celebrates the beauty and allure of Brno, fostering
a sense of exploration and appreciation for the city's
distinct character.
@ LookUpBrno
Manwaitingforhisgirlfriend.Hereali-
zeshowimportantloveisinourlives
andhowwewasteitandmanytimes
cowardlyrejectit.ButBronzeAdam
knowswhathewants!Inloveupto
hisbronzeears,hewaitsforhisEve,
whohasn'tbeengoingforawhile...
Duringthesimultaneousconstruction
ofSt.JamesandPetrovchurches,
tensionsarosebetweenthetwofacti-
onsduetofinancialdisparitiesand
skilledlabor.St.Jameshadmore
funds,whilePetrovboastedamore
skilledbuilder.Mockerycirculated
thatSt.Jameswouldfinishlong
beforePetrov,irkingthePetrovites.
Withtheirinfluence,Petrovitesforced
themasterstonemasontoleaveSt.
James.Agreeingreluctantly,headded
acheekydetailtoawindowashis
partingshot—alittlemanmooningSt.
Peter'sinrevengeforhisexpulsion.
Theoriginalplancalledfora28-sto-
reyskyscraper,butduetothe
unstableterrainthenumberoffloors
wasreducedto23andlatertoonly8.
Theconstructionofthedepartment
storeforBatatookplacein1930-1931,
thestorewasmovedherefromthe
nearbyMoravaPalace.AfterWorld
WarII,itwasreplacedbytheCent-
rumdepartmentstore,forwhose
needsthebuildingwasinsensitively
modifiedin1966,losingitscharacte-
risticalternationofhorizontalbands
ofclearandwhiteglass.
ThenameVčelínwasgiventothe
buildingafterthemetalbee,which
stillfloats25mabovethegroundand
terminatesthemassivecornerdome
intheformofabeehive.Thebuilding
atthecornerofKobližnéandRo-
osveltStreetswasformerlyusedasa
tenementhouseforthepension
treasuryoftheSocietyofIndustrial
Clerks.Thebeeontheroofexpresses
thesymbolofthefinancialinstitution
thathaditbuilt.Itrefersto
industriousnessandthrift.
Onthesouth-facingwallisasundial
showingthetimefrom8amto4pm.
TheyareaccompaniedbytwoLatin
inscriptions,translatedas'Supported
byHeaven,leaningontheearth,I
persevere'and'HereawaitstheMora-
vianEstateshappyhour'.
Theartisticdirector,VladimírMorávek,
placedthestatueonthetheaterroof,
explaining,"Itguardsthelightwell.At
thesamurai'sfeetisagoose,symboli-
zingthefragilityoflife.Thesamurai,
takingawalk,realizestheimportance
ofpayingattentiontofragility,tender-
ness,andthepoet'swords."
OneofBrno'soldestgateswasloca-
tedonthisspot.Itwastheonlygate
thatcouldbeusedbyJewstoenter
thecity,fromwhomtheso-called
Jewishtollwascollected.In1835,the
JewishGate,althoughanarchitectu-
ralgem,wasdemolishedbytheBrno
citizens.Today,theJewishGateis
commemoratedbyastoneplaqueon
thecornerhousebetweenMasaryk
andNádražníStreets,whichislocated
abovetheentrancetotoday'sKFC.
InBrnowealsohavetheStatueof
Liberty.Inreality,however,itisa
symbolofthelight-bearer,calledin
Latinluciferus,whowasasymbol
ofenlightenment,education,brin-
ginglight.
Afterrenovatingthehouse,the
ownerdiscoveredthattherewasstill
roomforahousesign.Intheend,he
decidedonadesignwithantsswar-
mingalloverthehouse.Accordingto
theartist,theantsfitinwiththe
naturaldecoroftheArtNouveau
facadeofthehouseand,associal
insects,theyarealsoasymbolofthe
humanhustleandbustlethatisinhe-
renttothecitycentre.
Overtwometershighstatuewitha
child'sbodyandanadultface.It
standsatthebottomofthesquarein
frontoftheRedutaTheatre,where
WolfgangAmadeusMozartgave
concertsasaneleven-year-oldchild
prodigy.Mozart'sstatueresemblesa
charmingartistbalancingonastyli-
sedclavichordthatformstheheadof
apillar.Hisnakednesssymbolizesthe
desireforfreedom,andthemove-
mentofthefigureisacomic,rococo
bowofthemusicianandaclassical
allegoryofjoy,freedomandflight.
Mozarthasonlyoneangel'swingon
hisback,referringtohistragicend.
Thestatuewasplacedontheroofof
thetheatrebythethenartistic
directorVladimírMorávek,who
describedthereasonforthestatue's
placementinthesewords:"Weputit
therebecauseitcanguardthelight
verynicely.Atthefeetofthesamurai
sitsagoose.Afragileanimalthat
tookaman,inthiscaseasamurai,for
awalk.Andhewalks-andhesees
theworld-andheseesBrno-andhe
marvels-andheiscertain:theonly
thingthatmakessenseinourlivesis
topayattentiontofragility,totender-
ness,andtothewordofthepoet.”
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Theskyscraperthatdoesn'texist 3.
BeePalace 4.
Sundial 5.
Ants 6.
Mozartstatue 7.
SamuraiandGoose 8.
TheHouseoftheThreeTaps 9.
JewishGate 10.
StatueofLiberty 11.
Naughtylittleman 2.
ClockwithastatueofAdamČekač 1.
Created by: Šárka Portešová & Viktorie Švihelová
Raise your head
here, too:
Look up especially at the
following places:
The skyscraper that doesn't exist3.
Bee Palace4.
Sundial5.
Ants6.
Naughty little man2.
Clock with a statue of Adam Čekač1. Mozart statue7.
Samurai and Goose8.
The House of the Three Taps9.
Jewish Gate10.
Statue of Liberty11.
Look up places
Tram routes
Buildings
Parks
This is Brno
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