Villa Muller

The residential house built for the Muller family in 1930 exemplifies Loos' design principles of functionality and economy. The spatial delineation of the structure is based on "Raumplan" - organising rooms and spaces according to their function and significance, in this case, by stepped heights. This is also seen from the exterior facades by the arrangement of the windows.

"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. Every space requires a different height: the dining room is surely higher than the pantry, thus the ceilings are set at different levels. To join these spaces in such a way that the rise and fall are not only unobservable but also practical, in this I see what is for others the great secret, although it is for me a great matter of course. Coming back to your question, it is just this spatial interaction and spatial austerity that thus far I have best been able to realise in Dr Müller's house."

-Adolf Loos, Shorthand record of a conversation in Plzeň (Pilsen), 1930

Adolf loos was also interested in exploring the relationship between privacy and publicity. He used the window as a symbol, to frame certain views, or to create atmosphere by screening the light. This is evident with the placement of the unpaired window in the terrace. Even outside, attention to detail assures that this window carefully frames the view of Prague Castle. Seating placed against windows means that it is not convenient for inhabitants to look outside, but rather the window frames the view of the people sitting down. The idea of privacy is also explored through the enclosure and accessibility of the rooms.