Côte d'Azur: Exceptional architecture
To speak of architecture is to speak of life. That of the cities, that of the people who live there. It's talking about history. Old and recent. Big and small.
“It's kind of a pure fantasy. From the time of its creation, it was quite far from the city center. The access roads were not the same as they are today and the building overlooked a vast hill that was not built. "
Charles Bilas
In 1913 it was decided to build a church on this site. The first stone was laid in 1914 and the foundations and a crypt were built under the supervision of the Nice architect Castel. The latter's death and the First World War led to the abandonment of the work. In 1926, construction resumed following the plans of the Parisian architect Jacques Droz . It was completed in 1933. The use of the reinforced concrete veil technique, recent at that time, allowed a futuristic style construction, influenced by Art Nouveau.
The Gloria Mansions, Nice, 1934
“I clicked when I pushed the door of the Gloria Mansions. The discovery of the colorful concrete hall was a revelation, a real love at first sight. "
Roberte Dallo
Le Palais Bulle, Théoule-Sur-Mer, 1989
Work of art nestled in the foothills of the Estérel which it adopts the colors. Floating above the sea, the bubbles of the architect Antti Lovag are inspired by the troglodyte habitat. Everything, from floor to ceiling, from outside to inside, follows spherical shapes. True ode to beauty, flexibility, harmony and balance.
Maeght Foundation, Saint-Paul-de-Vence, 1964
The Maeght Foundation is an exhibition space for modern and contemporary art. Modernist architect Josep Lluís Sert reinterprets Mediterranean codes: whiteness, earth, patios ... The lighting is natural and indirect, conducive to contemplation. Environmentally friendly, they installed the first heat pump in France and fed the basins with rainwater collected through impluvium roofs.
Villa Santo Sospir, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, 1935
To keep busy, Jean Cocteau asked his hostess if he could draw an Apollo's head above a fireplace in the living room. He will draw murals throughout the house.
In addition to this, you need to know more about it.
“The Côte d'Azur is the greenhouse where the roots grow. Paris is the shop where the flowers are sold. "
Jean Cocteau
Villa E-1027, Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, 1929
A true icon of modern architecture, villa E-1027 , the first architectural creation of Eileen Gray in collaboration with her companion Jean Badovici , testifies to her careful consideration in the design of every detail. It has a manifesto value, both for the architecture itself and for the fixed and mobile furniture, the lighting and the decorations which are inseparable from it.
Le Cabanon, Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, 1951
The Cabanon is the archetype of the minimum cell, based on an ergonomic and functionalist approach. Le Corbusier loved the Mediterranean Sea, its light, its landscapes and its rural architecture. The architect, who died in the waves of Cabbé beach in 1965, rests in the cemetery of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin.
In addition to this, you need to know more about it.
"The house should be the treasure chest of life"
Le Corbusier
In addition to this, you need to know more about it.
Sources: Nice Matin , Cap Moderne , Elle Décoration .