The villa is considered the most important prewar work of the German architect Ludwig Miese van der Rohe, who defined the new criteria of the modern housing. It’s one of the essential works of the functionalist era. The author is considered one of the godfathers of the modern architecture of the 20th century.
The villa on the slope of the residential neighborhood in Černá Pole is southward oriented, offering views to the downtown, Špilberk and Petrov. The 3-storey building is partially built in the sloping terrain. The structure consists of a large steel skeleton bearing ceramic ceilings. The network of steel supporting pillars runs through the whole height of the building, providing an important stylish and aesthetic element in the residential part. Especially the glazed main dwelling space with the sun lounge is famous. The interior of the building is fitted with smart and stylish furniture, carefully designed by the architect himself. In the former kitchen, the photographs by Fritz Tugendhat are now displayed, showing the construction and fitting of the house.
Numerous domestic and international companies took part in the construction; the natural materials were imported from various parts of the world. The villa was built in the extraordinarily short period of time. However, Mr. and Mrs. Tugendhat had only lived in the villa until 1938; then, being Jews, they had to leave Czechoslovakia as the German expansion was looming. From the early 1990s till 1994, the building was used for commercial purposes. Following the decision of the City Hall of Brno, the villa was then passed on to the Brno City Museum, which made it accessible to public as of July 1, 1994, as the monument of modern architecture. In 2001, the important building became the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
