Josef Frank's modernist masterpiece has recently opened to the public for the first time. It is located in the heart of Hietzinger Cottage, not far from Schönbrunn. Thanks to the Villa Beer Foundation, this former private upper-class home has been transformed into a villa that everyone can experience, from its cosy nooks, sculptural staircases and floor to ceiling windows. Anything that could not be restored has been remade as faithful to the original as possible.

During 1930, the wealthy industrialist Julius Beer commissioned Josef Frank to construct him a a sleek modernist mansion. This ambitious project was designed to push the boundaries of contemporary architecture, and Frank had very clear ideas, stating :“A well-organised house should be laid out like a city, with streets and paths that inevitably lead to squares from which traffic is excluded, so that one can rest there,” he wrote in 1931.

The Beers did not live in the mansion for long, due to financial difficulties, yet the house has remained largely unchanged. The doors of Villa Beer opened to the public in early March 2026 – guided tours will be offered and timed entrance tickets for visitors to explore on their own, and it will also serve as an events space with exhibitions and panel discussions.