A lecture by Pavel Kuznetsov, director of the Konstantin and Viktor Melnikov State Museum and deputy director of the Schusev State Museum of Architecture in Moscow, is part of the European Iconic Houses lecture tour, which will visit six European destinations in its fifth year.
Pavel Kuznetsov will present the unique Melnikov House designed by architect Konstantin Melnikov for himself and his family. The house was built between 1927–1929 and was to test Melnikov’s concept of housing. The architect believed that the essence of his house lay in balance and equivalence of weight, light, air and heat. The lecture will be accompanied by fragments of the documentary “Konstantin Melnikov” (1999) by Jeta Christiaans and Marjo Leupers. The lecture will be simultaneously interpreted from English, the film will be presented in the original version.
About the Iconic Houses Lecture Series
The Iconic Houses Lecture Series launched in 2014 in five cities in Europe to raise awareness about modern house museums and their frequent struggles to survive. As speakers, we welcomed the directors of and experts on some of the world’s most Iconic Houses, such as Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, Philip Johnson’s Glass House and Eileen Gray’sVilla E-1027. The initiative in Europe was taken by five house museums: Sonneveld House, Haus Ungers, Villa Stenersen, Villa Tugendhat and Van Schijndel House, followed in 2018 by Villa Müller.
After five successful tours in Europe, Iconic Houses is launching its first Iconic Houses Lecture Tour to three venues in the US and Canada in February 2020, with Pavel Kuznetsov’s lecture on the Melnikov House.
Lecture Itinerary 2019
Monday 7 October Villa Stenersen in Oslo, Norway
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Tuesday 8 October Haus Ungers, UAA at the Baukunstarchiv in Dortmund, Germany
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Wednesday 9 October Haus Ungers, UAA at the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum in Cologne, Germany
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Thursday 10 October Sonneveld House at Het Nieuwe Instituut in Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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Monday 14 October Villa Müller at Study and Documentation Centre Norbertov, Prague, Czech Republic
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Tuesday 15 October Villa Tugendhat in Brno, Czech Republic
Pavel Kuznetsov
Pavel Kuznetsov, is an economist by education, and a researcher in Soviet avant-garde architecture by vocation. He lives in a constructivist apartment in a house commune in Moscow and works as deputy director of the Schusev State Museum of Architecture. Since 2014, he has overseen the collections and archives of the Melnikov House and its transition from a private home to a public museum. As director of the State Museum of Konstantin and Viktor Melnikov he also directed the pre-conservation survey of the Melnikov House, supported by a grant from Keeping it Modern, an initiative of the Getty Foundation. His book, The Melnikov House: Icon of the Avant-Garde, Family Home, Architecture Museum was published in Berlin in 2017. When not researching, he was the first Russian to successfully swim the English Channel (in 14 hours, 33 minutes, 25 seconds).
The Melnikov House
The Melnikov House, designed by architect Konstantin Melnikov (1890–1974) for himself and his family, is an icon of the Russian architectural avant-garde. The experimental cylindrical structure was built between 1927 and 1929 to test Melnikov’s concepts for mass-produced housing. Melnikov believed that the essence of his house lay in the balance and equivalence of weight, light, air and heat. The original layout, elegant spatial arrangement, and ingenious engineering techniques are combined in a unique architectural form that still looks modern. Retaining some historic elements of the 20th century, the house also reflects the tragic life of this solo architect in a collectivist society.
About Iconic Houses
IconicHouses.org makes life easier for fans of 20th-century architecture, even acting as the ultimate architecture travel wish list. The website provides a handy reference for 150 of the world’s most iconic modern house museums and private homes that you can visit by appointment, some even accommodating overnight guests. It’s also a bucket list for planning your next country or city trip. More info about Iconic houses at: www.iconichouses.org
TICKETS
Price: 100 CZK / person, 50 CZK / student, senior
The capacity limited, ticket purchase in advance is required.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.tugendhat.eu from 26 September.
Stiletto heels are not permitted in the interior.
A tour of the villa interior is not part of the programme.
INFORMATION
Tel.: +420 515 511 015 / 017
E-mail: info@tugendhat.eu