The eighth annual Open House Brno festival took place over the weekend of 17–18 May 2025. VRI participated for the fourth time, offering visitors the opportunity to explore the architecturally valuable buildings and landscape grounds in Medlánky on Saturday through three guided tours led by the Institute’s director, MVDr. Martin Faldyna, Ph.D. Library tours were conducted by librarians Jana Zoufalá, DiS., and Mgr. Kateřina Kolářová.
During the tour, participants learned about the history of the Institute, which was established in 1955 by the Ministry of Agriculture as part of the Czechoslovak Academy of Agricultural Sciences. Since then, VRI has focused on developing diagnostic, preventive, and therapeutic methods for a wide range of diseases affecting both farm animals and companion animals, with a reach into human medicine.
The VRI complex, constructed between 1958 and 1963 based on the design by architect Vladimír Beneš, is an example of late socialist realism with modernist elements. Its dominant feature is a group of three five-storey laboratory buildings topped with broken-line mono-pitched roofs that resemble bird wings. The landscaping was designed by the renowned landscape architect Ivar Otruba.
Visitors were captivated by the entrance hallway illuminated through a circle of glass blocks, as well as the library with a mezzanine gallery and a spiral staircase made of bent wood. The tour also included the VRI Small Gallery, founded in the 1970s, where guests could view the current exhibition dedicated to the gallery’s first 15 years. A notable highlight was the visit to the civil defence shelter in the building’s basement, reflecting the era during which the complex was constructed. The final part of the tour was a visit to the top floor of Building 3, providing a stunning view of Medlánky and the Technology Park.
