German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe joined the Bauhaus design school as the director of architecture during the middle 1920s, using their functionalist use of simple geometric forms in design. Villa Tugendhat was one of his important projects. Started in 1928, the villa was built in Brno in the Czech Republic for Greta and Fritz Tugendhat and was completed by 1930.
Villa Tugendhat, Brno, 1930
Just as well the Tugendhats had made money in the textile industry. The cost of building this large villa was very high due to the unusual construction method, the exotic materials that Mies surprisingly chose and the modern technologies of heating and ventilation. Christopher's Expat Adventure reminds us that one of Mies’ huge windows is motorised and retracts.
I say surprisingly because Bauhaus architects tended to add very few decorative elements for their own sake. Yet Mies used naturally patterned materials such an onyx and rare tropical woods on some of the interior walls. Perhaps he compromised his architectural principles to keep his clients happy.
Light and airy interior, with stunning views
It was only in 1963 that Villa Tugendhat was declared a cultural monument. A plan was set into motion to begin reconstruction of the house, but the damage must have been considerable. In the meantime the house maintained its historic significance, such that in 1992, the treaty to divide Czechoslovakia was signed at the Villa Tugendhat!
To mark the importance of Bauhaus modernism, the villa has been open to the public as a state museum for the last 15 years. Fortunately Villa Tugendhat was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001. Since then, restoration of the villa has started, carefully retaining the integrity of Mies’ original design.
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6 comments:
This is a fascinating building, which I've not yet seen. The use of exotic materials is interesting. For all his modernist minimalism, Mies seems to have liked rich materials. The Barcelona Pavilion uses marble and onyx, and I think some of the finishes in the Seagram Building in New York are quite high-spec too - although the Seagram was much later.
There has also been a dispute about the ownership of this house, with the heirs of the Tugendhats applying for restitution. I think the main motivation for this was the fact that the building had fallen into disrepair. Now it's a World Heritage Site and work is progressing, all this may have been resolved.
You have inspired me to visit this villa - but alas, I 've just discovered it is about to close for renovations for four years.
J Bar and PM Doolan
The villa has been fully restored, after decades of misuse and neglect, and now looks fabulous. You must visit.
Philip,
I have added a reference to the blog called Objects Not Paintings which updates us on the tragic events and impressive restorations that occurred between 1945 and 2012.
This was such a fascinating read — I really enjoyed how you connected Villa Tugendhat to the broader Bauhaus movement and Mies van der Rohe’s architectural philosophy. The blend of functionality, light, and material luxury you described perfectly captures the timeless elegance of that era. It’s interesting how design ideas from the 1930s, like clean lines and open spaces, still inspire today’s interiors. I couldn’t help but think of how a modern marble vanity follows a similar design principle — combining minimalism with natural beauty and craftsmanship. Your post really highlights how true modern design never goes out of style!
ellen
I agree with most of what you say. The blend of functionality, light, clean lines, open space and material luxury perfectly captured the elegance of that era and that design philosophy.
But styles come and styles go, and what may have looked perfect in the 1930s would look a bit out of place in the 1970s. That doesn't mean that Bauhaus taste could not re-emerge again, just as Gothic Style became neo-Gothic many years later.
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