A Historical Masterpiece reopens to the Public: Villa Tugendhat / Mies van der Rohe
Today, one of the leading exemplars of classic Modern architecture reopens after a two year hiatus. The freshly renovated Villa Tugendhat underwent a monumental restoration and rehabilitation, starting in January 2010, with the aim of preserving and conserving the original building substance and layout, including the construction details, materials and technical system. Renewal work also included the lavish interiors and lush garden. Continue after for the break to learn more about Mies van der Rohe’s renewed masterpiece.
Faculty of Fine Arts, Brno University of Technology / CHYBIK+KRISTOF Associated Architects
The project by CHYBIK+KRISTOF Associated Architects for the Faculty of Fine Arts, Brno University of Technology is based on the idea of maximal respect to the character of the park’s locality in the city center for which it is designed. It is a complex of separate pavilions based on the floor plan of the existing built-up area of provisional assembled buildings, so-called likusáks. The concept of the project presupposes an interaction between education, culture and the public. Its realization will significantly contribute to revitalize the neglected eastern part of the park on Kraví hora. More images and architects‘ description after the break.
Video: Mies van der Rohe’s Czech Masterpiece: Tugendhat House
Built in Czechoslovakia in 1930 by German architect Mies van der Rohe, the Tugendhat House is an architectural masterpiece built for a Jewish family who was forced to flee in 1938 shortly before the Munich Agreement. The video shares interviews with the Tugendhat daughter and Mies’s grandson about the historical villa now owned by the government in Brno, Czech Republic. In 2001, the Tugendhat House was designated a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and is referred to as one of the most important residential buildings of the 20th century.
View ArchDaily’s publication on the iconic Villa Tugendhat here.
AD Classics: Villa Tugendhat / Mies van der Rohe
The Villa Tugendhat was commissioned by the wealthy newlyweds Grete & Fritz Tugendhat, a Jewish couple with family money from textile manufacturing companies in Brno. The couple met Mies van der Rohe in Berlin in 1927, and was already impressed by his design for the Zehlendorf house of Edward Fuchs. As fans of spacious homes with simple forms, Mies’ free plan method was perfect for the Tugendhats’ taste; however, he was not their only interest in an architect for their own home. They originally confronted Brno’s foremost modern architect at the time, Arnost Wiesner, but after visiting various projects by each architect, the Tugendhats ultimately went with Mies.
Masterplan of Juzne Centrum / CHYBIK+KRISTOF ASSOCIATED ARCHITECTS
This winning project for the Master Plan of Juzne Centrum in Brno, Czech Republic comes from CHYBIK+KRISTOF ASSOCIATED ARCHITECTS selected for the Southern Moravian Region Award 2010. The alternative master plan of “Juzne Centrum” is located in a big brownfield and is driven by local activists groups and the academic institution of Faculty of Architecture at University of Technology in Brno. The project incorporates the principles of ecology and economy towards common good and creates a new economic urban design.
More from this project after the break.
