The Vila was built 1928-30 and it is a prime example of the Modernist International style of architecture. It was designed by Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe, one of the most important architects of the 20th century; he worked closely with the Bauhaus movement and was a pioneer in glass curtain skyscrapers that came to dominate many cities through-out the world.

The Villa is set out on three floors the top one is a reception area with the bedrooms. The main floor is the next one down. It is a large open plan room divided only by two non structural walls. One of these walls is made of Onyx, and at the time of construction this one small section cost the equivalent of a family house. Despite the sparse interior, no expense was spared on this residence. To put the cost of this place in context, a generation or two before the Tugendhats’ would probably have commissioned a palace. The views over Brno from the main room are probably the best available and the huge ceiling to floor windows make the most of it. The furniture in the Vila is the height of modernist design and contain Mies’ superb Brno chair which is still in production today.

The third floor is just for maintenance and ventilation purposes so you don’t get to see it.

The Villa is on the outskirts of Brno and is pretty easy to reach. You will have to RESERVE a place to be able to see the inside of the Villa so do get in contact with the Villa before you leave. I was surprised that after several attempts to arrange a tour I was unable to get a time it seems to be very popular even on a weekday in February. I was even more surprised therefore when I finally got my tour that I had a visit all by myself which was an odd experience.

To get to the Villa take tram No 5 from the north of the city centre and get off at Cerna Pole then it is about a 2 minute walk up to the Villa. Or if you chose to walk from the station it would take about 30 minutes.

If you have an interest in modernist architecture this is a must see if you are in the area. I learnt a lot about a movement that before I found to be a little bland however it made me understand Mies’ famous saying that ‘less is more’ and I have now become a big fan of the style.

NB: The official website is constantly stating that the Villa will be closed for an extensive refurbishment at some stage a few months in the future; it has been saying this for the past few years but it is still worth checking if it will be open or not. You can contact the Villa on the following e-mail address; the same one can be used to make reservations: tugendhat-villa@tugendhat-villa.cz