What makes Villa Tugendhat so unique?

Chaise longue and onyx (1929/1930)Villa Tugendhat

To explain we will use this photograph, taken in 2020. Here you can find all the atributes why the house was inscribed on the UNESCO World heritage list in 2001.

Steel skeleton frame

The supporting steel skeleton, which statically supports the entire structure, allowed the architect to remove the walls, thus visually connecting the interior to the exterior. Here in this case you can see  the supporting column with high-gloss chrome cladding.

Exotic materials

One of the basic features of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's projects is the frequent use of rare and exotic materials. The Villa Tugendhat is no exception in this.  Probably the most famous element in this case is the onyx partition, which you can see in this detail.

Technical equipment

Ventilation system, retractable windows,  supporting skeleton and many other parts of the technical equipment represented the peak of technology in 1930 and are still very impressive today. For example the chrome tube on this photo is the heating system.

Connection with the natural surroundings

The layout of the main living space and the connection with the outside environment is a fundamental attribute of Villa Tugendhat. The architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe removed the four walls defining the room.

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