Tugendhat Villa / Vila Tugendhat (Brno, Czech Republic)
N 49° 12.426 E 016° 36.963
33U E 617708 N 5451735
The Tugendhat Villa in Brno, designed by the architect Mies van der Rohe, is an outstanding example of the international style in the modern movement in architecture as it developed in Europe in the 1920s.
Waymark Code: WM6HD4
Location: Jihomoravský kraj, Czechia
Date Posted: 06/06/2009
Views: 182
The Tugendhat Villa in Brno, designed by the architect Mies van der Rohe, is an outstanding example of the international style in the modern movement in architecture as it developed in Europe in the 1920s. Its particular value lies in the application of innovative spatial and aesthetic concepts that aim to satisfy new lifestyle needs by taking advantage of the opportunities afforded by modern industrial production.
Tugendhat Villa is a paradigmatic example of functionalism. Mies van der Rohe used the revolutionary iron framework which enabled him to dispense with supporting walls and arrange the interior in order to achieve a feeling of space and light. He also designed all furniture (two types of armchair designed for the building, the Tugendhat chair and the Brno chair, are still in production). There were no paintings or decorative items in the villa but the interior was by no means austere due to the use of naturally patterned materials such as the captivating onyx wall and rare tropical woods. The onyx wall is partially translucent and changes appearance when the evening sun is low. The architect also managed to make the magificient view from the villa an integral part of the interior.
The cost of building the villa was very high due to the unusual construction method, the luxurious materials, very modern technology of heating, ventilation etc. It is also quite large for a family house, a fact which may escape casual visitors since the elegant simplicity of the rooms used by the family is compensated by a very large space occupied by various utility rooms.
Fritz and Greta Tugendhat, who were Jewish, left Czechoslovakia with their children in 1938, shortly before the country was dismembered following the Munich agreement. They never returned. The house was used for various practical purposes for several decades after World War II. Since 1994 the villa has been open to the public as a museum administered by the city of Brno.