Villa Müller

Along with Le Corbusier, Walter Gropius and Mies van der Rohe, Adolf Loos was one of the fathers of Classical Modern architecture (what we know in America as ‘The International Style’). The Müller Villa, Loos’s masterpiece, is perched in a hilly suburb high above Prague, and should not be missed, whether you’re an architectural buff or simply interested in how the upper class lived in late 1920’s Prague. The architect not only oversaw the design of the building, but also the entire interior, including furniture, lighting, wallpaper and even door handles. While the exterior certainly bears out his famous pronouncement, “Ornament is Crime,” the interior is surprisingly rich and luxurious in its use of materials and furnishings, including extensive marble work and even the deployment of oriental rugs. Each time I visit, I walk away having learned something new, noting a small detail I hadn’t noticed before, yet I’m always blown away by Loos’s forward-thinking.