Villa Muller , 1930, (Prague, Czech Republic), Early Modernism

The Villa Muller, located in Prague, Czech Republic, was designed by architect Adolf Loos. The clients for the house were Frantisek Muller and his wife, Milada Mullerova. This building clearly illustrates the beginning of early modernism. It is also known as a landmark for early modernist architecture. Loos’ ideas of economy and functionality are clearly depicted in this building. The spatial design of this building is expressed in multi-level parts of individual rooms. The placing of the rooms show their function and importance. This is known as the Raumplan.

In Loos’ essay “Ornament and Crime,” he criticized decorated surfaces. For the exterior surfaces of the Villa Muller, he designed a white cubic facade. In the design of this building, Loos wanted to differentiate the views from the exterior and public eye from the interior private spaces of the inhabitants.  

Adolf Loos once stated, “My architecture is not conceived in plans, but in spaces(cubes). I do not design floor plans, facades, sections, I design spaces. For me, there is no ground floor, first floor,etc… For me, there are only contiguous, continual spaces, rooms, anterooms, terraces, etc. Storeys merge and spaces relate to each other.” He used the Raumplan to design spaces in order of function and importance, clearly standing by this statement. His designs were based off the organization of cubicle spaces rather than design in plan and section.

Loos strictly stuck to keeping the private and public spaces separate. The outside is plain, with a flat roof, terraces and irregular windows. The interior is more traditional, decorated with comfortable furniture and marble, wood and silk surfaces. The entrance of the building is low with dark colors (deep blue/green tiles). This leads to an open cloakroom are with a large window, however still low. At the end a staircase leads the occupant between marble pillars that lead to a double height, open sitting room. At the center of the building is the center of the culture life and connected to the dining room on the mezzanine level. This then leads to a spiral staircase that moves the occupant to the upper floors. On the top level is a roof terrace with a window. There is a freestanding wall framing the view of the Prague Cathedral.

Works Cited

"Villa Müller | ArchiTravel." ArchiTravel | Online Architecture Guide. October 07, 2015. Accessed May 01, 2018. http://www.architravel.com/architravel/building/villa-muller/.

"Villa Müller." Villa Müller | Architectuul. Accessed May 01, 2018. http://architectuul.com/architecture/villa-muller.

Villa Mueller Prague by Adolf Loos. Accessed May 01, 2018. http://www.galinsky.com/buildings/villamueller/index.htm.