Villa Bratislava

Tubular steel classics bring 1920s villa into the here and now

A classic villa in Bratislava, built in 1926, has been brought into the 21st century thanks to the work of architects at Pale Architecture, who have given the interior a complete facelift. The brief was to preserve and showcase the building’s historical features while adding state-of-the-art technology, a light colour scheme, and elegant, modern furniture to create a contemporary feel. The result is a sophisticated interior that makes maximum use of the space. The villa’s historical character still shines through but has now been combined with all of the benefits of modern newbuilds, namely smart electronics, lighting, underfloor heating, air conditioning and security systems.

All of the partition walls were removed and the room is now divided by furniture walls that also provide room for storage. The abundance of storage space and multi-purpose areas allows Juraj Peták’s team to focus their attention on the functional elements of the rooms and the carefully chosen items of furniture. 

For the office and conference rooms, the designers opted for iconic tubular steel furniture from Thonet. The cool tubular steel is ideally complemented by warmer wooden elements in beech as well as canework. The S 32 cantilever chair and the S 64 version with armrests are among the most well-known of the tubular steel classics. Marcel Breuer designed both chairs during his time in Berlin, and they have been manufactured by Thonet since 1930. Their popularity stems from the appealing combination of something new and something tried and tested: the seat and backrest made of bent solid wood with canework embody Thonet’s tradition of bending wood, and the tubular steel frame, which was revolutionary for its time, is every bit as contemporary and modern today. Their versatility has made these chairs some of the best-selling cantilever chairs to date. 

In the kitchen, stainless steel was chosen for the cabinet fronts and the island. Barstool versions of the tubular steel range used in the adjoining rooms are the perfect seating choice here. The simple, minimalist design of the S 32 H from Thonet, combined with its airy canework, blends seamlessly into the room. The comfortable Thonet chairs are understated, yet make an impression, combining architectural lines with a clean design and ideally complementing the villa’s new interior.