More than a House

What is modern? Josef Frank asked this question at the Vienna Werkbund conference in 1930. A few months later, an architectural answer was created with the Villa Beer, an icon of Austrian Modernism and the most significant joint work by Josef Frank and Oskar Wlach.

The design draws on Adolf Loos’s Raumplan concept, yet interprets it in a freer and much cozier way. Spaces of varying heights interconnect to form a layered spatial landscape characterized by movement and visual relationships. Frank describes the central idea behind this in his essay “The House as Path and Place”—living as a sequence of paths and spaces, of movement and pause. At the center of the house is the staircase, providing orientation and setting the stage for everyday life.

The architecture follows an internal logic that is also expressed in the façade. Asymmetrical and richly proportioned, it reflects the complex spatial structure of the interior. The interior and exterior spaces flow seamlessly into one another; the architecture and furnishings form a harmonious whole.

The house was listed as a protected monument in 1987. The Villa Beer Foundation carefully restored existing fixtures and floors, and several lost elements were reconstructed. A deliberate decision to omit any additional furniture was made, in order to ensure that the architectural impact can be experienced with clarity.

The Villa Beer Foundation also has a collection of objects by Josef Frank from the estate of Johannes Spalt, housed in a climate-controlled archive space and to be expanded in the future.

More articles:
Architects Josef Frank and Oskar Wlach
Villa Beer Restoration Blog