behind the scenes

It has been often said that inspiration can come from the environment. And that is certainly true as Italian interior design firm Poltrana Frau embarked on PF Journey, a chronicle of how its product catalogue for 2018 was created, which involved placing its furniture in evocative and historic spaces including the Pirelli skyscraper in Milan. One particular location for the photoshoot is steeped in deep architectural history – Villa Tugendhat in Brno, designed and built by Lugwid Mies van der Rohe between 1929 and 1930 for Greta and Fritz Tugendhat in the modern day Czech Republic.

Inscribed in the list of UNESCO World Cultural Heritage sites as “an outstanding example of the international style”, the Villa was fully renovated in 2012, restoring it and the adjoining gardens to their original appearance in 1930. Poltrana Frau chose VIlla Tugendhat as one of the locations for PF Journey given the symbiosis between van der Rohe’s sophisticated, elegant and simple designs and the brand’s own aesthetic.

Important pieces from Poltrana Frau’s new and past collections – including the Gran Torino sofa, the historic Club armchair, the Lloyd bookcase and the Mesa Due table – were gathered together in the space. Expansive windows gave ample light with the entire inward facade of Villa Tugendhat providing a stunning view of the gardens, inviting the outside into the building’s interior. The results are stunning – a collection of images that span the timeline of 20th and 21st century design in a building that is almost 90 years old, all fitting in perfectly into the aesthetics of 2018.

Poltrana Frau furniture is available in Malaysia at XTRA Furniture.