Following years of intensive research and restoration, Villa Beer in Vienna’s Hietzing district is now open to the public. A new book documents the extraordinary restoration of this listed building designed by Josef Frank and Oskar Wlach – the volume showcases the sophisticated details of this masterpiece of Viennese Modernism.
Sandra Hofmeister
Hertha Hurnaus
Revival of an icon
When Lothar Trierenberg first entered the villa – which had stood empty since 2008 – five years ago, he knew very little about its history. Yet he was immediately struck by the building’s spatial power. In 2021, he purchased the building, which was in need of renovation, founded the Villa Beer Foundation and developed a vision to revive Josef Frank’s key architectural work. The villa has been open to the public since March; alongside guided tours, symposia, workshops and cultural events are planned. Three guest rooms in the attic are available to rent.
Stephan Huger
Living in the park
Josef Frank and Oskar Wlach designed the house, including the garden and furnishings, for the Viennese rubber manufacturer Julius Beer and his wife Margarethe. The family moved in in 1930. With over 600 square metres of living space, large windows, balconies, terraces, a garage and a dumbwaiter, the villa combined technical sophistication with a new concept of living: open, flexible and undogmatic. Floors and mezzanines create a sequence of varying ceiling heights and sightlines that closely link the interior and the garden.
Julius Scherb
The expulsion of the Jews
The history of the house is inextricably linked to the fate of the Jewish family who built it. As early as 1932, the family had to sublet rooms; later, the house was sold. Julius and Margarethe Beer fled to the USA with their son Hans in 1940. Their daughter Elisabeth, who remained in Vienna, was deported and murdered. Villa Beer is therefore not only an architectural monument, but also a place of remembrance.
Stephan Huger
The highest possible accuracy
This newly published book documents the complex restoration process. The aim was to restore the building’s original 1930s character as faithfully as possible, whilst at the same time enabling it to be used for contemporary purposes. Lothar Trierenberg and architect Christian Prasser of cp-architektur oversaw the multi-year process in close collaboration with the Federal Monuments Office, conservators, experts and craft workshops. The conservation investigations were led by Alexandra Sagmeister.
Hertha Hurnaus
Authenticity and the present
Many of the interventions demonstrate just how challenging it was to strike a balance between authenticity and modernity. The basement was given new foundations and the floor slab was replaced. The historic heating system was converted to geothermal heat pumps and photovoltaics, whilst the restored original cast-iron radiators were retained. The new building automation system also largely follows the original routing of the pipes and cables to minimise interference with the building fabric.
Hand-sieved
Particular attention was paid to the façade. In order to replicate the original appearance as closely as possible, sand was sieved by hand on site for the fine render. The parapet, which had been raised at a later date, was also restored to its original height, so that the proportions once again correspond to the design by Frank and Wlach.
Hertha Hurnaus
Natural rubber
The delicate metal windows play a key role in creating the atmosphere of the interior spaces. 43 windows, comprising 250 sashes and 750 brass hinges, were stripped of paint and rust and restored. Where the original glazing had not survived, bespoke solutions were employed. Parquet floors, window sills and the characteristic light green natural rubber flooring were also carefully restored or delicately supplemented.
The book presents Villa Beer as a built embodiment of modern living: a sequence of paths, spaces, views and transitions. Following the renovation, one can experience what Josef Frank articulated in his thinking on architecture – a house that does not seek to be dogmatically modern, but rather appears lively, open and organically grown.
Villa Beer
Villa Beer Foundation (Hg.)
text: English, 96 pages, many images
Wien 2026
ISBN 978-3-200-10999-5
