Throughout the summer, “M” will be opening the doors to some of the most beautiful villas in the area. Restoration work on the “motionless liner” created by the Irish designer facing the azure in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin has been completed after many years.
Modern architecture is at its finest on the Mediterranean coast. A white mansion with a view of the sea, where one enters as though embarking on a work of art. Roquebrune Cap Martin was built between 1926 and 1929 in the Alpes-Maritimes region by Irish designer Eileen Gray and Italian architect Jean Badovici, who planned the building to its very last detail.
It’s no coincidence that the house’s name is E-1027: E for Eileen, followed by the 10 of “J” from Jean, the 2 of “B” from Badovici, and the 7 of “G” from Gray, according to the alphabet’s rank.
This “motionless liner,” as Eileen Gray dubbed the villa when it was bought by the Conservatoire du Littoral in 1999, had been subjected to natural factors (marine corrosion, humidity, storms) as well as the passage of time and people.
One of her owners was murdered on the grounds when the name Eileen Gray and her architectural work were pushed into obscurity, leading to sales of her furniture and the deterioration of the property.
It was a masterstroke to restore the building to its 1929 state as closely as possible.
The culmination of a decade-long effort that began in 2006 with the guidance of Pierre-Antoine Gatier and was reintroduced in 2014 under the leadership of the Cap Moderne association and the oversight of a scientific committee directed by the historian of architecture, Jean-Louis Cohen. For eight years, the villa was open to visitors in summer, freeing up the field for construction during the six months of the year.
For this project, a team of four architects led by landscape architect Philippe Deliau and roughly twenty craftsmen working on both the building’s restoration and its furnishings and textiles were entrusted with the task of overseeing the project.
Eileen Gray’s furniture, permanent or movable, is a major part of what makes the building so unique and so brilliant: it combines minimal space with maximum comfort, thanks in large part to the “five points of a new architecture” implemented by Le Corbusier in 1927 (stilts, roof terrace, free plan, headband windows, and free facade).
An Intimate Architectural Style
This Irishwoman, daughter of an aristocrat, was then nearly 50 years old. About twenty years ago, she moved to Paris, where her practice of painting led her to explore multiple techniques and media (the art of lacquer, weaving, etc.), then to create furniture and the profession of an interior designer—today we would say “interior designer”.
Gray, a free and inventive spirit, exhibits his talent for the global notion of space while violating conventions and customs in his Parisian gallery (mysteriously named “Jean Désert”).
She envisions modular and light furniture fusing sophistication and minimalism for villa E-1027, planned and constructed for “a man who enjoys work, sports, and entertaining his friends.”
“An Architecture of Intimacy,” the name of an exhibition about his work that took place in 2017, reminded people of how, for E-1027, Gray had moved to Roquebrune to spend his days there and get to know the place better.
Badovici and she decided to construct the house in a somewhat off-center fashion on this sloped plot where large lemon trees still grow.
Along with making the most of the sun’s path, the north-south orientation of the house makes it feel like you’re walking along a dock before “entering slowly” (as Gray’s stencil at the front door says) aboard a boat. This adds to the building’s marine theme.
At the same time that it has a beautiful view of the Bay of Monaco and natural ventilation, the 120 square meters spread out over two levels create an amazing feeling of space. This is done by alternating narrow passageways and larger volumes, as well as clever openings that let light in or make sure there is natural ventilation.
Touring the Building
Guided tours now allow you to see the original furnishings, decor, and equipment, all of which have been meticulously restored or rebuilt to their original specifications following years of research. Because of this, it’s simple to see why so many people have fallen in love with this house. To begin with, Le Corbusier stayed there several times, beginning in 1937 at the invitation of his friend Badovici, and even made seven paintings on the stark white walls.
They are discovered in a publication by Eileen Gray, who hasn’t been to the villa in years and is shocked. Le Corbusier’s actions have been likened by some to rape.
Though “absolutely selfish and disrespectful” to the work that Tim Benton did admire, these impressions nonetheless have artistic significance, as noted by architecture historian Tim Benton in the Heritage editions’ work commemorating “the regeneration of a house by the sea.” The reality remains.
Even though Eileen Gray’s name had long since faded from public consciousness, the ghost of Le Corbusier helped keep the place safe when everyone had forgotten about her. After “heated debates,” his paintings were mostly preserved and restored, and they were designated a historic monument in 2000.
As a result, the architect will have his iconic Cabanon built just a few meters away before creating the camping units for Thomas Rebutato, the manager of the adjoining snack bar, L’Etoile. With E-1027, what is today known as the “Modern Cap” was born.
Before her death, Eileen Gray had closed her gallery and burned some of its documents. When British designer Zeev Aram inquired about this erasure, she answered, “I didn’t like to jostle.”
In addition to the meticulous restoration of the villa, the project contains the short testimonials of the many people for whom this villa has held a special place over the years, from the pathology of concrete to the restoration of fabrics.
Additional words from architects and historians, as well as the sounds of the waves, build a touching polyphony that helps us better understand the genius of this location that has had so many lives.