Explore Villa Beer, a rare modernist Viennese icon reborn

Few may be familiar with Villa Beer, an example of the Austrian-Swedish modernist architect Josef Frank's work in Vienna – and even fewer will have visited the home, which was until recently left unoccupied and neglected, known mostly to architecture aficionados through history books and archive photography, its rundown exterior glimpsed at in sadness by the select few Viennese aware of its existence.

This is about to change. From March 2026, the newly restored villa in the tiny Viennese suburb of Hietzing is opening its doors to the public, following a careful restoration process which brings the rare example of Viennese modernism back into the spotlight. In short: if you savour a modernist architecture visit and look forward to seeing places like Mies van der Rohe's Villa Tugendhat in Brno and Eileen Gray's renovated E-1027 in Côte d'Azur, a tour of this 20th-century gem might be in order.

Step inside Villa Beer in Vienna

Villa Beer was built in 1929/30 to a design by the famous Austrian-born architect, artist and designer Josef Frank, who worked on the project with Oskar Wlach (at the time, the duo was in partnership in the architecture firm Haus & Garten). It was a private commission by the art-loving couple Julius and Margarete Beer and their Viennese Jewish family of four.

The house features many hallmarks typically associated with modernist thinking – clean, white, geometric volumes, large windows and a flexible floor plan with plenty of internal connections and fluid living space. Interestingly, it was built in brick instead of concrete, which was more commonly used in other modernist homes.

Importantly, the layout and forms of Villa Beer highlight Frank's spirit of eschewing modernism's dogma and allowing for flexible usage and daily life to take centre stage – a 'people-friendly' modernism, the architects involved in its restoration underline.

The property is generous, set within a large garden, and spanning a total of some 650 sq m. It comprised several living areas, overlooking ample outdoor space through oversized windows, a music room, a library, four main bedrooms for the family as well as staff quarters (it counts ten bedrooms in total), a modern kitchen, a garage and a number of large sun terraces, which nod to modernism's goal of promoting wellness.

Unfortunately, the Beers ran into financial hardship soon after the house was completed, never living in it for long, and renting it out often to cover their loan instalments. Furthermore, tragically, eventually, most of the family fled Austria with the rise of antisemitism later in the 1930s - as did Frank, who went on to live in Sweden and became a leading figure in the design world through his involvement with the interior design store Svenskt Tenn (Oskar Wlach also left for the US). The couple's daughter, Elisabeth Beer, was murdered in Maly Trostinez in 1941.

From that point, Villa Beer suffered neglect and changing hands, when it was acquired in 2020 by the current owner, Lothar Trierenberg, who founded (and currently is managing director at) the Villa Beer Foundation the following year. Through this vehicle, he embarked on a journey to protect this rare sample of Viennese architectural heritage - kick-starting a restoration project so that the public can rediscover the stories of its architects and owners, and their legacy.

Trierenberg writes in a book published on the occasion of the reopening of Villa Barr: 'When I first entered the house five years ago, having discovered it by a fortunate coincidence, I knew little about its past. Yet the significance of its architecture - and what it reflects - revealed itself immediately. Despite its abandoned condition, with much of its original charm faded, the character and power of the architecture were immediately palpable. One thing was clear: This story and its meaning must not remain private, but rather reach and move as many people as possible.'

Trierenberg worked in collaboration with architect Christian Prasser, the Federal Monuments Office and landscape architects Auböck + Kárász to breathe new life into the tired and much-altered landmark. The main home was brought back to its original state, and two lower levels were discreetly added, adapting the garage into what will be the main entrance and shop, and expanding to include offices, an archive and storage space, alongside a new mini auditorium.

The house had undergone several subdivisions over the years - even split into a two-property arrangement at one time. The restoration work returned the interior to the home's original, single-residence, open-plan layout. While the Beers' loose furniture was long lost, several preserved built-in elements were saved and refreshed - missing parts reconstructed where needed and often in a way that indicates what's old and what's new, to showcase both what the home would have looked like in its freshly-constructed fabric - and what the patina added through the passing of time.

A high standard of craftsmanship and historical accuracy were prioritised, and the team often engaged the project's original contractors for the reconstructions and replacements. As a result, floors, fireplaces, security grilles, the dumbwaiter and radiators were repaired, alongside several windows.

Even the music room was reinstated with a grand piano of the same era, replacing the long-lost Bösendorfer one owned by the Beers, who frequently hosted recitals and musical soirees.

Aiming for the house to become a beacon for culture and learning, Katharina Egghart, the managing director of the Villa Beer Foundation, flags that a diverse programme of activities is currently in the works. This will include anything from guided tours, discussions, music and literary events, to symposia and educational workshops.

The newly renovated top floor (furnished with textiles and furniture designed by Josef Frank for Svenskt Tenn) will be available to even host guests overnight, bookable through the Villa Beer's website, while creative residences and research programmes are also in the house's future. Meanwhile, the main dining room and kitchen can be used to host creative dinner parties.

Trierenberg said: ‘Villa Beer is also intended to become a place of learning and teaching for architecture as well as for the complex history of the interwar period.' Egghart added: 'Even though Villa Beer will be open to the public in future, its character as a residential building will be preserved as far as possible. Visitors should feel like welcome guests.'

You can book your visit to Villa Beer online from February 2026. The home is open for visits from 8 March 2026

Villa Beer, Wenzgasse 12; 1130 Vienna