Who was Adolf Loos?
Adolf Loos was born in the South Moravian city of Brno on 10 December 1870. He studied at the Royal State Industrial School in Liberec in North Bohemia, and subsequently enrolled at the Dresden University of Technology, which he left three years later to travel to the USA. After returning to Europe he set up his own studio in Vienna in 1897. Adolf Loos was a prominent figure in the world of architectural modernism, alongside such figures as Frank Lloyd Wright, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier. He was linked to the famous Swiss urban planner by his love not only for modern architecture, but also for the legendary actress and dancer Josephine Baker. Loos even designed a grand mansion for her. However, the jealousy that reigned between Loos and Le Corbusier meant that the house was never actually built.
Loos’ most notable buildings include the Goldman & Salatsch Building (Looshaus) on Michaelerplatz in Vienna, the residence of the poet Tristan Tzara in Paris, and the Villa Müller in Prague. Adolf Loos died in Austria in 1933.
Where to see his buildings
The Müller and Winternitz villas in Prague
Arguably one of Adolf Loos’ most significant buildings in the Czech Republic graces the residential quarter in Střešovice in Prague. The building is presently recognized as the Villa Müller, as per the original commissioner of the project. A visit to the place, which needs to be booked in advance through the City of Prague Museum, provides you with the opportunity to find out more about this unique piece of modern architectural heritage, acclaimed by architects as the most important villa residence built in the 20th century.
Prague is also home to another notable building designed by Loos, the Villa Winternitz↗ in Prague 5. It now houses a gallery, so is open to the public for a few days a week (from Sunday to Wednesday). Guided tours of the villa are given every Saturday and Sunday, and need to be booked in advance. Or, you can even stay in one of the buildings designed by this master architect! After a tour of the Villa Winternitz, you are handed the keys and become its "owners” for a few hours.
The Hirsch Apartment in Prague: A Must-Visit Before Your Time is Up!
The apartment that Loos designed for Richard Hirsch↗ is a sight not to be missed! And not just because it’s listed in the bestselling “150 Houses You Need to Visit Before Your Die”. Loos designed this student apartment for the Hirsches’ son at around the same time as the Villa Müller in Prague. However, this apartment wasn’t built in Prague, but in Plzeň, situated above his parents’ flat. Unfortunately, nothing has been preserved of the Hirsch Apartment, which Loos allegedly sketched on a bag of flour in just fifteen minutes.
Even more miraculous is the fact that another of Loos’ works, the apartment for their son Richard, withstood the challenges of war years and endured several decades of communist rule in the same building, just one floor up. In the 1990s the owner of the apartment decided to sell Loos’ interior in its entirety, and so all the fixtures and fittings of the Plzeň flat were moved to a building in Josefov, Prague, near the Old Jewish Cemetery. Among the items within the apartment's furnishings, which can be visited by prior arrangement, is a chair that once accommodated such great figures as Freud, Klimt and Schiele.
The Bauer Chateau in Brno
You can find one of Adolf Loos’ works in Brno, at the Bauer Chateau at the Brno Exhibition Centre. It dates back to the 19th century, but the owner invited Loos to adapt its interiors in 1925. Among other things, he designed the marble panelling in the dining room and the figural stucco strip. The interior is the only surviving work by Loos in his home city.
Loos’ interiors in Plzeň
We’ve already mentioned that there are so-called Loos Interiors located in Plzeň in western Bohemia. Each of them is different, but they are all certainly worth a visit. In the apartment of the couple Kraus at Bendova 10, you can view what is widely hailed by experts as the most beautiful Loos salon with Swiss marble panelling and a mahogany-panelled ceiling. When you visit Dr Vogl’s apartment at Klatovská 12, you will view a miraculously preserved room, a living salon with replicas of the original furniture and a travertine dining room. Another tour route offers the Brummel House at Husova 58, converted by Loos into a two-generation home, and the final interior is the apartment of Oskar Semler’s family at Klatovská 110. However, the last apartment is currently undergoing restoration and is inaccessible for the time being.
