ÿþ<html> <head> <title>The Villa Tugendhat, about Unesco Heritage Town!</title> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="town-styles.css" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="nav-bar.css" /> </head> <body> <h2>The Villa Tugendhat  unique functionalist architecture in Brno</h2><name id="Brno"> <p><strong>One of the most significant pieces of architecture in Brno is the Villa Tugendhat, one of only a handful of modern structures to be listed by UNESCO. The Villa Tugendhat, a unique piece of modern architecture, was built in 1929 1930 in Brno s erná Pole District for Greta and Fritz Tugendhat. The project was entrusted to one of the most eminent architects in Europe at the time, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. </strong></p> <p>The Villa Tugendhat now belongs to the City of Brno and since 1994 has been in the care of the Brno City Museum which has opened it up to the public. In 1995 the house was given National Cultural Monument status and in 2001 became a UNESCO-listed site. For 12 years the Villa has been a tourist attraction with the usual tours taking visitors around this piece of functionalist architecture. Along with his colleagues, the architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was not only the man behind the building of the villa, but also the entire concept of modern living including the garden and interiors. And it was no accident that the Villa Tugendhat was built in Brno, the largest city in Moravia and the Czech Republic s second city. Interwar architecture here was of an exceptionally high standard and appears in many textbooks of modern architecture. One example is the Brno Trade Fair Grounds built in 1928 for an exhibition of contemporary culture to mark the tenth anniversary of the creation of an independent Czechoslovakia. Other fine examples are the Hotel Avion in eská Street and the Commercial Bank on Svobody Square. Villa Tugendhat as the only UNESCO-listed site in Brno and the only pieces of modern architecture to enjoy this status in the Czech Republic is also well-known thanks to the way the architect designed the interiors. On the floor where the main living quarters are situated, the interior and exterior blend into one another. Two windows reaching from the ceiling to the floor can be opened electronically giving access to the garden. There is also a winter garden containing exotic plants. The house was equipped with other technical gadgets not seen before such as a photocells, chrome supporting columns and air conditioning. Furniture made from exotic woods such as palisander and ebony is complimented by armchairs with names like Brno, Barcelona, Tugendhat and Stuttgart; the Italian travertine used on the floors is also remarkable as is the onyx wall from the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. Mies s motto  Less is More makes the Villa Tugendhat with its functionalist interiors and simple elegance one of the most important works of modern architecture in the world. </p> <p>Brno is around 200km from Prague. The city is has historic ties with Vienna a mere 110km away. </p> <br /> <br /> <div id="navbar"> <ul><li><a href="index.html" class="current">Home</a></li> </div> </body> </html>