When the switch crowns a unique interior

Unique. Phenomenal. Iconic. All these words perfectly capture the impression made by Winternitz Villa – a purist gem designed by Adolf Loos. The same words can boldly be used to describe a new detail you will find in the villa: retro rotary switches from Berker with backlighting.

The illuminated switches were "gifted" to the company Hager to commemorate a double anniversary in 2019. “This year we commemorated two significant anniversaries: a hundred years of the Bauhaus design school and also the Berker switches,” explains Thomas Grund, Managing Director of Hager in the Czech Republic. “We are proud that Walter Gropius himself, the founder of Bauhaus, used Berker switches in his architectural works. Our series 1930 and series glas switches were used during the thorough reconstruction of buildings associated with the Bauhaus school in Dessau. You can also find them in many architectural gems in the Czech Republic, including the Tugendhat Villa or here in Winternitz Villa,” adds Thomas Grund.


Winternitz Villa has a tumultuous past. In 1932, the Prague lawyer JUDr. Josef Winternitz commissioned it from Adolf Loos and Karel Lhota for his family. This villa represents the last building realized by the classic of modern architecture and a leading representative of architectural purism, Adolf Loos. The family inhabited the villa until 1941. After the war, only Winternitz's wife and daughter returned to Prague, but they never visited the villa again nor spoke about it within the family. Until 1997, a kindergarten operated in this building. The villa then returned to the descendants of the original owners, who reconstructed it between 1999 and 2002 back to its original form from the 1930s.


During the villa's reconstruction, the choice fell on Berker series glas switches, sockets, and other household devices with black accents. The same switches can be found in other revived buildings in the style of classic modernism – the most famous example in our country is the Tugendhat Villa. However, in Winternitz Villa, you can now also admire the glas series switches in an impressive variant with backlighting. “If you have always liked the round series of Berker switches – namely the design series series 1930, series glas, and R.classic – then you will be thrilled with their illuminated variant,” smiles Thomas Grund.


Winternitz Villa is still in the hands of the original owners. “Since 2017, the villa has been open to the public, and it is possible to visit it within guided tours or during some cultural events taking place here. It is possible to accommodate in the villa or rent it for a wedding or a party,” explains David Cysař, one of the co-owners of the villa. “With the permanent exhibition in the second floor of the villa, we strive to ensure that the tumultuous history of the twentieth century, which harshly impacted the history of the family and the entire building, is not forgotten,” concludes David Cysař.

Three Questions for David Cysař, Co-Owner of Winternitz Villa Owners of architectural gems often face a dilemma: to conserve the monument in a good sense and preserve it unchanged for future generations, or, on the contrary, to open the doors to the general public and let the building come to life. Which stance is closer to you, and how do you apply it in Winternitz Villa? I believe we apply both stances. Since the villa was returned to us, we have been trying to rid it of the layers of communist management, return it to its 1930s appearance, and preserve that for future generations. Since no family member lives in the villa and we use it purely as a museum and for cultural and social events, we do not tend to reconstruct the villa in the context of contemporary living, and we strive to create a precise replica of the atmosphere of the First Republic. At the same time, we believe that the villa should live, and therefore we have opened it to the public, who can enjoy the villa with us. How has COVID affected your plans, and what do you plan for the villa once we can return to normal life? COVID is just one more stage in our lives, and the villa has already experienced several. All of them, however, have survived in health and beauty. I believe it will be the same now, and once everything is over, we will reopen it to the public and continue to lead cultural and social life here. The villa has undergone a successful reconstruction. What criteria did you use to decide on the selection of details, such as switches and sockets? The Berker series glas switches were an obvious choice because archival photographs show that the same ones were originally in the villa. I called the Hager company and connected with Thomas Grund. He was enthusiastic about our intention to open the building to the public and to create a kind of cultural center here, and the Hager company provided us with switches throughout the villa completely free of charge. This philanthropic approach truly touched me and strengthened my belief that when a person embarks on meaningful projects, there will always be others who understand and support their actions. The illuminated switches, which are a novelty, completely thrilled me. Since we are the owners of the building, we decided in this case to abandon the path of absolute replicas and integrated into the interior a switch that is indeed shape-accurate but with modern technology. I believe that Adolf Loos would surely have given us his blessing.

David Cysař and Thomas Grund

Thomas Grund, Director of Hager Electro in the Czech Republic, on supporting the reconstruction of Winternitz Villa: “When Mr. David Cysař contacted me and asked if I would support his efforts to bring Winternitz Villa back to life, I was intrigued and drove to the site. Because he couldn't attend to me immediately, he left me alone in the villa for a while. I must say it was a peculiar experience. As I admired it, the villa awakened turbulent emotions in me. I truly felt the breath, or if you will, the very strong energy of this place. Initially, I felt sadness and dejection. But ultimately, as I walked through the exhibition about the tumultuous fate of the villa and especially the people who inhabited it, I was struck by a strong feeling of happiness and hope. In that moment, I decided that I would do everything in my power to restore this gem and help the descendant of the original owners realize his intentions. In the end, it went beyond just supplying the original switches – the cooperation with David Cysař eventually grew into a solid friendship.”