Tugendhat Villa
Аdress: Cernopolni 45, 61300 Brno
|
|
Tugendhat Villa
{foto: Miloslav Bouška} |
„There exist some building elements from which it is possible to develop new and richer architecture. They lend us a measure of freedom that we no longer wish to abandon. Now we are able to divide a space, open it up and join it with the landscape, so that we may fulfil the spatial needs of modern man. The simplicity of construction, clarity of the tectonic environment and purity of materials will become the new standard-bearers of beauty.“
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, 1933
Architecture in the 1920s was characterised by the opening of new roads of creative thought, which reflected the avant-garde trends that were searching for an image of life after the First World War. The designs for the glass skyscrapers by the German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in 1919-1922 broke the traditional forms of enclosed spaces with their transparent walls and open-plan floor spaces, which have made possible new and progressive technology for the manufacture of glass, steel and ferro-concrete.
The Brno work of Mies van der Rohe began to take shape rapidly in June 1929. By the end of October of the same year the frame of the building was completed, in summer 1930 the internal work was complete, and the house was inhabited by the end of the year.
The Tugendhat Villa stands on land which was given to Greta Tugendhat as a wedding gift by her father. The Tugendhats came from a family of well-known textile entrepreneurs, and they lived in the house until 1938, when the family was forced to flee to Switzerland, and subsequently Venezuela, in order to escape the Nazis. The villa was requisitioned by the Gestapo, and was damaged during the course of the war. After 1945 it was used for a short while as a school of rhythmics, following which it became the rehabilitation centre for the university children’s hospital. In 1969 the villa became the property of the city. From 1982 until 1985 it underwent partial restoration, during which all the unwanted changed that had been added later were removed, and the building was preserved for future use as a protected monument. The villa went on to be used for special civic occasions, and in 1992 talks were held in the building on the division of the Czechoslovak state.
The villa, built on a slope in the residential suburb of Černá Pole, faces to the south and has a view of the city centre, Špilberk castle and Petrov cathedral. The house has three storeys, and is partially ‘buried’ in the sloping terrain. The building is constructed around an extensive steel frame supporting a ceramic ceiling. The network of steel load-bearing columns passes through the entire height of the building, and in the living quarters they form an important stylistic and aesthetic element.
The street façade was designed to house the ground floor entrance and garage, joined by a flat roof to the entrance to the terrace. The severity of the façade is relieved by the freely-standing load-bearing column and especially by the curved wall that was originally made from plate ‘milk’ glass. The entrance storey comprises the bedrooms, dressing rooms, sanitary facilities and notably the travertine spiral staircase that leads down to the living area on the lower storey, which is the central part of the house. Not counting the kitchens and food preparation areas, the main floor measures 360 m². On its southern and eastern sides the entire living area is visually open to the entire height of the walls using glass, allowing a view of the exterior garden and the interior winter garden. This floor consists of a single room that is divided into interlinking sections. The free-flowing area creates the impression of fusion of the interior and the exterior by using specific materials and lighting. This impression is not disturbed by the load-bearing steel columns that, thanks to their chrome plating, reflect the light and appear to be more subtle than they are in reality. It is possible to lower part of the glass walls into the basement, thereby directly joining the living area with the garden. The most striking and dominant feature of the living area is the onyx wall that creates breath-taking lighting effects. The interior also contains a wall that is veneered with tropical macassar wood and a dining area that is divided by a semi-circular wall of ebony wood. From the dining area it is possible to walk onto the western terrace, and down a wide stairway to the garden which forms an integral part of the house and forms, in fact, an extension of the building.
The living area was furnished with items that took up a precisely defined space, and which were designed by Mies van der Rohe himself. The furniture, especially the armchairs and other chairs, were so modern, high-quality and purposeful that they are still produced today. The most well-known of these are the chrome tubular framed “Brno”, “Barcelona” and “Tugendhat” chairs. All of the equipment fulfilled precisely-defined functions that were not only practical, but also artistic. The architect did not neglect a single detail, and even designed the door handles, doors, curtains, lighting and other technical equipment.
The technical equipment in the building is unique and was well ahead of its time. The house was equipped with a modern central heating system which included an air-conditioning system with an oil and sawdust filter and regulation of the airflow humidity. In the basement are housed the machine rooms and the electric motors for lowering the windows. The house was also equipped with am electric security system. The majority of these pieces of equipment were completely unique and the use of them in a family house was many decades before its time. This did not come cheap, however. The costs of building and equipping the Tugendhat Villa were such that they would have been enough for the construction of more than thirty normal family houses.
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe died in 1969 in Chicago. During his life he created a characterful and uninterchangeable style, which has significantly influenced modern architecture throughout the world.
The Tugendhat Villa in Černá Pole, Brno, was met with great acclaim and interest even when it was newly-built and its fame has grown with time. The Tugendhat Villa in Brno, the most prominent completed European work of its creator, has become one of the milestones in the history of world 20th century architecture. Its importance was recognised in 2001 by its inclusion amongst the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites.
Further information can be found on the web pages of the Museum of the City of Brno, www.tugendhat-villa.cz.
