| SPECIAL - Iconic Holidays! | Always wanted to sleep in a museum? Now's your chance! Iconic Houses' members include an exclusive selection of museum homes that you can rent for a holiday. Imagine having one all to yourself, and getting to know it at your own pace. Well designed and authentic, these houses have wonderful stories to tell. During a stay in one, you will experience it almost exactly as the original residents did. Most were designed as weekend or holiday homes for their owners, meaning that the architects could indulge themselves more than in permanent homes – they didn’t need to be so practical, and instead focused on fun.
To help you choose your ideal place among our choice selection of Iconic Houses holiday homes, we’ve grouped them all together. From a hidden Brutalist gem in Belgium, to a Neutra monument in the USA, you can read all about them. Or browse our map and check out the blue pictograms. Hurry and book if you want to be sure of a special holiday this summer!
We’ve arranged the houses chronologically from newest to oldest. We'd like to draw your attention to two new members: The Grace Miller House in Palm Springs by Richard Neutra, and the newly restored Van Ravesteyn House in Utrecht. We proudly welcome both this month and look forward to introducing more iconic holiday homes to you soon.
We want your tips!
We’re always looking out for new and inspiring examples. So, if you know a unique and unmissable house from the 20th century, please tell us about it by mailing info@iconichouses.org. Thanks for your suggestions!
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| | Pierre Paulin's House, St Roman De Codières (1990) | French industrial designer Pierre Paulin's domain is located on one of the rare plateaux at the entrance of the Cévennes national park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. In the early 1990s, Paulin restored the ruins of a traditional building, confronting its austere beauty with the organic forms of his designs. Pierre and Maia Paulin conceived a whole estate where the splendour of the landscape turns every window into a natural tableau.
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| | Van Wassenhove House, Sint-Martens-Latem (1974) | Belgian architect Juliaan Lampens designed a house exclusively of concrete, wood and glass in which all living areas overlap: no separate rooms, but one open space. The warmth of the wood and the ever-changing play of light shatter the massiveness of the concrete. The sleeping area is a circle, the kitchen a triangle and study a square. A residency program allows short-stay rental in the house and individual or group visits.
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| | Can Lis, Mallorca (1971) | After Jørn Utzon left the Sydney Opera project in 1966, he decided to settle on Majorca where he bought land near Porto Petro, situated on a steep cliff facing the sea. Can Lis could then become a reality. Visits and shorter stays by architects and architecture students are offered in the months of the year that there is no residency and are administered by the Utzon Foundation.
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| | Weidlinger House, Wellfleet (1953) | Designed by pioneering engineer Paul Weidlinger, this house was vacant and in danger of demolition since the late 1990s. Cape Cod Modern House Trust has leased and restored it in 2014 and two more abandoned, modern houses; Kugel/Gips house by Charles Zehnder, 1970 and Hatch Cottage by Jack Hall, 1961.
By staying in these houses you help support the restorations while enjoying the architecture and natural setting.
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| | Grace Miller House, Palm Springs (1937) | The Grace Miller House was Richard Neutra's first desert commission and generated much publicity for its unique design. A Guest House was designed by Neutra in 1938 but never realized. In 2007 the current owner built it almost exactly to the original plans. The serenity and calm of the home reflects Neutra's conviction that living in a properly-designed home will be reflected in your physical and mental health.
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| | Dijkstra House, Groet (1934) | This summer house for the Dijkstra family, close to the sea and dunes, is an outstanding example of experimental modernist Dutch architecture of the 1930s. It was designed by architects Merkelbach and Karsten, pioneers in the Dutch Modern movement. It has been preserved in great detail and can be rented as a holiday home from the Hendrick de Keyser Association that preserves historic houses in The Netherlands.
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| | Haus Schminke, Löbau (1933) | Architecture should be an experience. This is why Hans Scharoun's Haus Schminke offers to spend a night, exclusively, in the Schminke House. And of course you can use all the built-in furniture, including the Frankfurt kitchen, which in large part remains in its original form. There is a total of seven beds. On request extra beds can accommodate up to twelve guests.
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| | Van Ravesteyn House, Utrecht (1933) | Dutch railway architect Sybold van Ravesteyn designed this villa in 1932 for himself in the style of the Nieuwe Bouwen. The villa was transferred to the Hendrick de Keyser Association in 1996. The wish of Van Ravesteyn's son was that the house and the interior would remain unchanged. As of March 2019 the house can be rented as a holiday home.
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| | Villa Winternitz, Prague (1932) | Villa Winternitz is the last building designed by Adolf Loos that had been finished before his death. The spacious house has all the aspects of Loos' Raumplan, built-in furniture, beautiful materials and unexpected colours. The villa has been open to the public since April 2017. You can explore the house without reservation, book a guided tour or cultural activity. It is also possible for two guests to rent the house for an overnight stay!
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| | Villa Tammekan, Tartu (1932) | It is possible to stay overnight at the Villa Tammekann in Estonia and thus experience the unique environment of this building by Alvar Aalto. Although staying at the house is primarily intended for university staff on work visits, Friends of the University and special groups interested in architecture are also welcomed. The house has two twin rooms and three single rooms. Accommodation includes breakfast and use of the sauna :-)
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| | Taut’s Home, Berlin (1930) | Travel back in time to Berlin's stylish 1930s accommodation at the UNESCO-World heritage site at the Horseshoe Estate. Suitable for up to four guests, Taut’s Home is a cultural treasure with the character of a museum and a real-life experience of design history. This is probably the closest you can get to the spirit of emergent Modernism and the Golden Twenties in Berlin.
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