The Vila Tugendhat

Project Name: The Vila Tugendhat
Location:Brno, Czech Republic
Architects: Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

One of the most celebrated villa structures in the world was designed for Grete and Fritz Tugendhat by the architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in 1928 and built by the Brno construction company of the brothers Artur and Mořic Eisler over the years 1929-1930. This house has impacted the history of architecture first and foremost due to the arrangement of the main living area, the steel supporting structure, rare exotic materials and remarkable use of new technologies. Villa Tugendhat presently ranks among the leading exemplars of classic Modern world architecture.

After the Tugendhat family emigrated (1938) the Villa was confiscated by the Gestapo (1939). It became the property of the German Reich in 1942 . The house contained a private dancing school over the years 1945-1950 and consequently became the property of the state (1950). The building was used as a physical therapy institution for children with spinal handicaps over the years 1950-1979. The Villa has been the property of the City of Brno as of the year 1980.

The first renewal and reconstruction work on Villa Tugendhat took place over the years 1981-1985; the building was used as a ceremonial locale for the city and the state up to 1992. The declaration for the dissolution of Czechoslovakia was signed here in August 1992. The Villa has been under the administration of the Brno City Museum as of July 1994 which made it accessible to the public serving as an installed monument of Modern architecture. Villa Tugendhat became a National Cultural Monument in August 1995 and was included on the UNESCO List of World Cultural Heritage in December 2001.