Modernist marvel Villa Cavrois to open after a €23m
restoration
A tour of the 1930s chateau, designed by Robert
Mallet-Stevens
Villa Cavrois’ south facade. Photography: Jean-Luc Paillé /
Centre National Monuments
Villa Cavrois’ south facade: its unconventional geometric
forms and sand-coloured brick cladding made it uniquely modern, but unpopular
with its more conservative neighbours. Photography: Jean-Luc Paillé / Centre
des monuments nationaux © Robert Mallet-Stevens – ADAGP
For almost three decades, one of France’s finest examples of
Modernist residential architecture lay derelict and in danger of demolition.
Now, following a €23 million rescue act, Villa Cavrois is set to reopen its
doors.
Sited in the Lille suburb of Croix, the mansion was designed
by architect Robert Mallet-Stevens for industrialist Paul Cavrois. It was
completed in 1932 and encapsulates the progressive ideals championed by
Mallet-Stevens and other exponents of the International Style.
A view of Villa Cavrois’ restored outdoor swimming pool,
designed by Robert Mallet-Stevens. Photography: Jean-Luc Paillé / Centre
National Monuments
A view of Villa Cavrois’ restored outdoor pool, designed by
Robert Mallet-Stevens. Photography: Jean-Luc Paillé / Centre des monuments
nationaux © Robert Mallet-Stevens – ADAGP
‘The villa is influenced by the Austrian modernity of Adolf
Loos and Josef Hoffman,’ says Paul-Hervé Parsy, who oversaw the restoration on
behalf of the government-backed Centre des Monuments Nationaux. ‘The spatial
organisation is also based on a 18th century conception. This contradiction
between modernity and classicism makes this unique modern castle an exceptional
example of architectural chef-d’oeuvre.’
The building’s geometric forms and sand-coloured brick
cladding resulted in an uncompromising modern character that was unpopular at
the time with its conservative neighbours. Rooms were arranged according to
their function and kitted out with the latest technologies, including
telephones, electric clocks, central heating and lifts, making it the epitome
of modern luxury living.
Since its auspicious beginnings, Villa Cavrois has endured a
turbulent life, involving occupation by German forces during the second world
war, internal remodelling in the 1950s and the threat of destruction when it
was bought by a property developer in 1986.
The restored entrance, which looks exactly as it did in July
1932. Photography: Jean-Luc Paillé / Centre National Monuments
Fully restored, the building looks exactly as it did in July
1932. Photography: Jean-Luc Paillé / Centre des monuments nationaux © Robert
Mallet-Stevens – ADAGP
Between 1988 and 2001, the house stood empty and was
ransacked and vandalised. A pressure group supported by the likes of Norman
Foster and Renzo Piano helped raise awareness of its plight before the state
purchased it and appointed the Centre des Monuments Nationaux to oversee the
restoration.
The decision to reinstate the original layout and undertake
an extensive refurbishment programme reflects Villa Cavrois’ importance as an
example of Modernist civil architecture in France. Over 230 skilled labourers
were involved in making the building weathertight, reconfiguring the grounds
and restoring details including parquet flooring, decorative metalwork, wood
joinery and glazing.
Hallway. Photography: Jean-Luc Paillé / Centre National
Monuments
More than 230 skilled craftsmen helped restore the
building’s details, including its parquet flooring, metalwork and joinery.
Photography: Jean-Luc Paillé / Centre des monuments nationaux © Robert
Mallet-Stevens – ADAGP
According to Parsy, the process was made particularly
difficult because all of Mallet-Stevens’ archives were destroyed at his request
following his death in 1945. ‘The main challenge was to rediscover things like
where the marble came from, the exact colours and the wood used for the
furniture,’ he says. The team used photographs and technical documents from
contractors who carried out the original works to piece together the proper
floor plan and finishes.
Where possible, rooms have been returned to their original
state, with fitted furniture, lighting and artworks accurately reproduced. Some
spaces are left unfurnished to focus attention on the architecture, while
others will be used to host exhibitions and events. A tablet with an augmented
reality app will provide an interactive overview of the rooms as they were in
1932.
The restored dining room – some rooms will be left without
furniture to focus attention on focus attention on Robert Mallet-Steven’s
architectural design. Photography: Jean-Luc Paillé / Centre National Monuments
Some rooms will be left without furniture to focus attention
on focus attention on Robert Mallet-Steven’s architectural design. Photography:
Jean-Luc Paillé / Centre des monuments nationaux © Robert Mallet-Stevens –
ADAGP
The outcome of the 12-year restoration process is a monument
to Modernism. When the doors reopen on 13 June, visitors will be encouraged to
freely explore Villa Cavrois’ elegant rooms and hallways, imagining what it
might have been like to live there. ‘The public will discover a true modern
castle,’ says Parsy, ‘classic in term of spatial organisation but avant-garde
in some of the facilities. It will appreciate what the notion of luxury means,
even in a somewhat severe form’.
