Room 1

Architectural Jewel Miralago

The Villa Miralago was commissioned by the Viennese industrialist Ludwig Urban Sr. and built between 1887 and 1893 according to the plans of architect Carl Langhammer. It was originally named Villa "Lugg in See" or Villa Urban.

Client

Ludwig Urban senior, * 1854 / + ?

The Urban family was a successful entrepreneurial family from Vienna. The company name Brevillier-Urban derives from Ignaz Urban, who opened a blacksmith shop in Vienna in 1800, and from Carl Wilhelm von Brevillier, who founded a screw factory in 1823. Even today, the brands 'Jolly' colored pencils and 'DKT – Das kaufmännische Talent' remain well-known.

Architect

Carl Langhammer, * 1840 / + 1906

Carl Langhammer, originally from Northern Moravia, moved to Vienna in 1876, where he opened an architectural office in the 4th district. Langhammer was an architect of late historicism. In addition to Villa Lugg in See (= Villa Miralago) and Villa Seehort, he designed various residential and commercial buildings with palatial facades in Vienna’s 4th, 5th, and 6th districts, inspired by the Viennese Neo-Renaissance style. Langhammer also worked on industrial buildings.

Master Builder

Franz Madile, * 1857 / + 1926

Under the name "Madile & Comp.", Franz Madile founded his own construction company in Bleiburg in 1882. In 1885, the company headquarters were relocated to Klagenfurt. As the city’s master builder, Madile significantly shaped the urban landscape of Klagenfurt. His first major project was the construction of the Klagenfurt Federal Grammar School from 1887 to 1893.

The Villa Miralago was built as a summer residence between 1887 and 1893 based on plans by Viennese architect Carl Langhammer for the industrialist Ludwig Urban (Brevillier-Urban), located in the eastern bay of Pörtschach. It is a distinguished example of late Gründerzeit architecture and romantic historicism.

The appearance of Villa Miralago is defined by its richly articulated structure, featuring turrets, loggias, columns, projections (risalits), various blind windows, and a highly ornate façade. Remarkable carpentry adorns the building’s exterior. The lakeside grand staircase, leading from the loggia on the bel étage via the terrace down to the ground floor, is unique on Lake Wörthersee. It provides direct access to the water.

The garden is designed as an elaborate baroque mirror garden. Carl Langhammer also planned the nearby Villa Seehort, considered the “younger sibling” of Villa Miralago. For decades, the two villas shared an expansive park and a common well. Only recently was a fence erected on the side of Villa Seehort.

The estate occupies a prominent position in Pörtschach’s eastern bay - the most tranquil spot on Lake Wörthersee. This privileged location, combined with the villa’s distinctive coloring, gives Villa Miralago a unique aura, making it stand out in the midst of its generous and lush garden.

Villa Miralago is surrounded by three other architecturally significant villas in the Wörthersee style: Villa Wörth, Villa Seehort, and Villa Seefried. Together, they form an ensemble widely regarded as the most beautiful on the Wörthersee and truly unmatched in all of Carinthia.

Inside, the house features four-meter-high rooms with wooden paneling, tiled stoves, and double-winged doors - often leaving one unsure whether all the doors have actually been closed. The windows and doors in the principal rooms are decorated with painted wood ornamentation. Had electricity not been introduced in the 1910s, even the wall and ceiling paintings - praised for their remarkable quality in the Vienna Almanac of 1895 - would likely have been preserved.

At the time of its construction, Villa “Lugg in See” was equipped with three tea kitchens, four main kitchens, ten tiled stoves, cold and hot water connections on the bel étage, and two earth closets on the ground floor. Running water was a true luxury and reserved exclusively for the gentry. Showers were not yet in use - people used to wash themselves with a jug and a washbasin. At that time, water pressure was insufficient to supply upper floors, and hot water was not available from taps.
Therefore, during the construction of the villa, two large, tarred steel tanks - each with a capacity of two tons - were installed in the attic. Servants would draw water from the lake and haul it via pulley system to the roof of the building. Once there, the water was divided between the two tanks, one of which was already heated to provide warm water for the household. What an exhausting task must this have been, as not only the water had to be lifted 18 meters, but the firewood did as well.

Incidentally, the two steel tanks still remain in the attic today - the water supply however has become a bit more convenient. The rooms still feature original furnishings, chandeliers, and herringbone parquet flooring from the period, all of which continue to lend this now “old lady” her enchanting and authentic charm.

Architecture - Boathouse

At the same time as the villa, a boathouse was also constructed. It is one of the few and oldest preserved examples of a then-new type of timber construction, characterized by its elaborate design and representing an elevated form of small-scale architecture.
The structure consists of a three-nave timber frame with partially infilled exterior walls and decorative fretwork. Each bay houses a boat berth - two side bays for rowboats and a central bay for a sailboat. The floor plan of the boathouse is hexagonal. An internal staircase leads to an open upper level, the lantern, which resembles an octagonal pavilion. From here, one can enjoy an undisturbed view across the lake.

#miralagomoments