Villa Müller, also known as Villa Loos, is one of the most important works of European modernism. It was built in the 1920s in the Střešovice district of Prague and is still regarded as an icon of modern design. Its author, the eminent architect Adolf Loos, created a building that is a fusion of austere form with a highly considered interior.
Müller Villa in Prague – history of its creation
The house was built in 1930 for František Müller, director of the Prague construction company Müller a Kapsa. Its design was drawn up by Adolf Loos in collaboration with Karl Lhota. At the same time, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was creating the Tugendhat Villa in Brno, which places both works in the same row of the most important realisations of modernism in Central Europe. We have written about the villa HERE. After the Second World War, turbulent times came for the building. In 1948, after the communist takeover, the house was nationalised and František Müller’s widow was only allowed to use two rooms. The remaining rooms were occupied by state institutions. Only after the Velvet Revolution did the villa return to the city of Prague, which commissioned a comprehensive restoration. Since 2000, the building has operated as a museum and is part of the collection of the Museum of the City of Prague.
Architectural concept and Raumplan
The most important element of the villa is the use of the Raumplan concept, the spatial plan of the house. Instead of the traditional division into floors, Loos designed interiors of different heights and sizes, depending on the purpose of the individual rooms. The layout was composed around a central staircase, which allows the spaces to flow together and create visual connections between the rooms. The interiors are characterised by elegance and exceptional attention to detail. Loos used noble materials such as marble and wood, as well as contrasts in height, which heightened the impression of spaciousness. This gave the residents a sense of both intimacy and openness.
The Müller Villa in Prague and its austere form
The body of the villa was shaped in the form of a cuboid. The two main facades, facing the street and the side alley, have plain walls with small windows and modest entrance niches. Their sparing composition was a deliberate choice by Loos, who believed that the façade should not be a decoration for passers-by, but merely an external shield for the house. The other facades are more open and conceal the terrace and balcony. The overall design is characterised by simplicity and restraint, which reflect the architect’s views. Loos first realised this approach in the Viennese department store Goldmann & Salatsch, where he also applied the principle of the ‘blank facade’ above the ground floor.
The garden as an extension of the interior
The garden, designed by prominent landscape architects Camill Schneider, Karl Förster and Hermann Mattern, was an integral part of the project. Its layout reflected the ideas present in the interior design. The colours of the plants corresponded to the colours used in the house. The green of the yew trees referred to the marble in the main hall, and the colours of the flowers echoed the tones of the fabrics and furniture. In this way, the garden formed a unity with the architecture of the villa.
Location and views
The villa was built on a steep plot of land between Střešovická and Nad Hradním Vodojem streets. The difference in elevation there is as much as 11 metres, which required careful adaptation of the block to the terrain. The high position of the house, however, provides extremely attractive views of the Vltava River valley, Troja Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral in Hradčany.
The heritage and significance of the building
The Müller Villa is one of the most important examples of modernist residential architecture in Europe. It was included in the international Iconic Houses catalogue, which collects houses of exceptional architectural and historical significance. Today it is open to the public, a testament to Adolf Loos’ innovative ideas and unique approach to residential design.
source: muzeumprahy.cz, adolfloos.cz
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