Art & Architecture
article | Reading time3 min
Find out all you need to know about modern architecture by visiting these three architect-designed villas built in the 1930s: Villa Cavrois, Villa Savoye and Villa E-1027!
The Villa Cavrois, a truly modern castle
Designed between 1929 and 1932, the Villa Cavrois is the work of architect Robert Mallet-Stevens. How did the project come about? It was commissioned by Paul Cavrois, the owner of a flourishing company based in the north of France, then the most industrialised region in the country.
Situated in Croix , in the midst of middle-class houses, far from the factories of Roubaix, the villa stood out from the crowd!
It was designed like a truly modern castle: divided into two symmetrical wings, it boasts a 60-metre-long façade and 2,8000 square metres of floor space. Its modernity can be seen in the simplicity of the volumes, the absence of ornamentation, the presence of flat roofs, the state-of-the-art equipment (central heating, lift, telephone, etc.) and the materials used, such as metal, steel and glass.
Push open the doors of this contemporary villa to admire the interior designed by Mallet-Stevens! To find out more
© Colombe Clier / Centre des monuments nationaux
The Villa Savoye, or the five points of modern architecture
At the end of the summer of 1928, the Savoye couple asked Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, known as Le Corbusier, to build a country house on their land in Poissy. This project gave Le Corbusier the opportunity to apply the 5 points of modern architecture that he had been working on over the previous years:
- The reinforced concrete pilings made it possible to free up space and move around under the house, or even park a car there.
- Thanks to the open facade, there are no load-bearing walls! Large openings can be made.
- The banded windows run uninterrupted along all four walls, letting in plenty of light.
- The free-standing floor plan and its light, movable partitions create spaces that can be adapted to suit your needs and desires.
- The roof terrace gives access to a small overhanging garden, where you can feel a little closer to paradise.
Climb aboard the RER A and head for Le Corbusier's masterpiece!
© FLC (Fondation Le Corbusier) - ADAGP © 11H45 / Centre des monuments nationaux
Cap moderne, a unique architectural ensemble
Overlooking the bay of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, facing Monaco, Villa E-1027 is an icon of modern architecture, Eileen Gray's first architectural creation.
Between 1926 and 1929, architect and designer Eileen Gray built Villa E-1027 with and for her partner Jean Badovici, architect and editor-in-chief of the magazine L'Architecture vivante. This boat-like holiday home embodied their shared vision of 2nd art and applied the 5 points of modern architecture defined by Le Corbusier!
Le Corbusier later painted several murals and built a holiday home, Le Cabanon, next to a nearby restaurant, L'Étoile de Mer, as well as camping units that welcomed tourists until 1984!
Come and discover these monuments that make up Cap Moderne, an exceptional architectural ensemble.
© Benjamin Gavaudo - Centre des monuments nationaux
The subject file
