ADOLF LOOS - VILLA MULLER

Adolf Loos advocated architecture devoid of decoration 1. His houses were cubic designs with carved interiors, like intricate delicate sculptures. revealing complex three dimensional relationshpis between inner volumes.

Loos insisted that "rich materials and good workmanship should not only be considered as making up for lack of decoration, but as far as surpassing it in sumptuousness."2.

"My architecture is not concieved by drawings but by spaces. I do not draw plans, facades or sections, for me, the ground floor, first floor, do not exist. There sre only interconnected continual spaces, rooms, halls, terraces."3.

Loos uses different levels of the Raumplan to place spaces in a social heirarchy and move the visitor ina aprticular journey through the villa. The first entrance way is low, with strong but dark colours, and opens up into a cloakroom area that is generous in plan, brighter white walls and a big window, but still with a low ceiling. At the far end, a modest staircase takes the visitor round a right-angle bend, emerging dramatically between marble pillars into the double height, open plan sitting room. It is interesting to note that rooms which have similar or the same function usually have that same ceiling height.

1. Ivan Margolis; The Architectual Review; Nov 2000. Issue 208. pg 78
2. Adolf Loos; The Architectural review; Nov 2000. 208. 78
3. Ibid