Villa Tugendhat Marks 20 Years As A UNESCO Monument

20 years ago, on December 16th, 2001, Brno’s functionalist villa was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List at the 25th session of UNESCO in Helsinki, Finland. Photo: David Židlický.

Brno, Dec 13 (BD) – “I would like the Villa Tugendhat, which is without a doubt an icon of modern architecture, to be more accessible to the public, who cannot plan their visit to Brno several months in advance,” said the director of the Brno City Museum, Zbyněk Šolc. “The villa has its capacity limits, but we have decided to celebrate 20 years since it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List by organizing special tours on December 26th and 31st. Tickets go on sale on the new website of Villa Tugendhat today.” 

Three silver “Tugendhat” and 3 “Barcelona” armchairs in the living room. Photo: David Židlický.

Over the last 20 years, the building has undergone a number of significant changes. The most important is the extensive and internationally acclaimed restoration, prepared by experts for almost 10 years. The thorough renovation of the house, its interiors and garden was carried out in 2010-2012. After its completion, the villa returned to its original state from the 1930s.

The monument has also seen a great increase in the number of visitors, from less than 8,000 in 2000, to over 60,000 in 2019. 

Onyx “heart” of the villa. Photo: David Židlický.

The management of the Villa are now preparing several new projects. Among its goals is making the villa accessible to visitors with disabilities. In cooperation with the organization Tichý svět, the villa will offer tablets for visitors with hearing impairments.

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