Stone

Mies and Loos seem like-minded in their desire to have forms that are true to their epoch. In the 1927 Foreword to Bau und Wohnung, Mies reiterates this search for a "new space" is an artist aim.96 The Villa Tugendhat realizes new artistic ideals and moves beyond the functional idea of the "machine for living." Mies's conception of the modern home is not simply a machine for living, but a functionalist space that feeds the spirit of the modern man who lives within. Rather than protecting his clients from the harsh, industrial, modern world, Mies' design embraces the industrialization and literally removes the barriers between the home and the outside world.

At first glance the residential designs ofLoos, Le Corbusier, and Mies van der Rohe share certain similarities that begin to deteriorate upon closer inspection. Those similarities, that seemingly link Loos so neatly with the architecture of the Modern Movement, weaken once one moves beyond the facades of their residential designs. In the next chapter we will see how these similarities completely dissolve when looking at designs for public buildings.