Villa Tugendhat

Completed in 1930 for a young Brno couple, Villa Tugendhat is one of the buildings that defined modern domestic architecture, and it is listed by UNESCO as a masterpiece of the movement. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was given an almost unlimited budget and used it to strip the house to structure and surface: slender chrome-clad columns carry the roof so that the main living floor is a single uninterrupted space, divided not by walls but by a curved screen of Macassar ebony and a free-standing wall of honey-coloured onyx that glows red when low sun passes through it. Two enormous panes of window sink electrically into the floor, opening the room to the garden and the view over the city. Restored in the 2010s to its original state, it is shown only on guided tours with strictly limited numbers, and tickets go months ahead.

History

Fritz and Greta Tugendhat commissioned the villa from Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich, and the firm of Artur and Moritz Eisler built it in 14 months from the summer of 1929. The family lived in it for only eight years, leaving with their children in 1938; from 1942 it served as offices of the Messerschmitt aircraft works, and by 1945 the interior was badly damaged. After the war it became city property and was used for decades for other purposes, among them a children's physiotherapy centre; Greta Tugendhat returned in 1967 to explain the original design, it was restored after 1980, opened as a museum in 1994 and was added to the World Heritage List in 2001 (Wikipedia, Villa Tugendhat).

Highlights

• The main living space - the open floor divided only by screens rather than walls.
• The onyx wall - the free-standing honey-coloured stone that glows in low sun.
• The sinking windows - the huge panes that lower electrically into the floor.
• The technical basement - the ventilation and machinery that made the house work.

When to go

Open year-round; the onyx wall glows best on a low winter sun, which is a good reason to visit out of season. Tours are limited and sell out months ahead, so book as early as you can and check the release dates. The house closes on Mondays and for occasional maintenance.

Things to know

You cannot simply turn up: entry is by guided tour with tightly capped numbers, and tickets are routinely gone months in advance, which catches out most would-be visitors. The tour is fairly formal and photography is restricted. It is an empty house rather than a furnished home, so its power is architectural, and those without an interest in modern design may find it austere. Booking early is the whole battle.

Nearby

Brno's centre, Špilberk fortress and the Moravian Karst caves are close; Vienna is an hour and a half south.

Key facts