Villa Cavrois
| Villa Cavrois | |
|---|---|
 Southeast side of Villa Cavrois |
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 Location within France
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | International style |
| Town or city | Croix |
| Country | France |
| Coordinates | 50°40′00″N 3°09′51″E / 50.6667361°N 3.16405278°ECoordinates: 50°40′00″N 3°09′51″E / 50.6667361°N 3.16405278°E |
| Construction started | 1929 |
| Completed | 1932 |
| Design and construction | |
| Client | Paul Cavrois |
| Architect | Robert Mallet-Stevens |
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Villa Cavrois in Croix is a large mansion built in 1932, for Paul Cavrois, an industrialist from Roubaix - he was working in the textile industry - by Parisian architect Robert Mallet-Stevens.
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[edit] A modern concept
Villa Cavrois is a testimony to a lifestyle as it was conceived in the late 1920s by modern architects contemporary with Le Corbusier. Luminosity, hygiene and comfort are the keywords that underlie such buildings. Villa Cavrois illustrates this concept with simplicity and elegance. The large modern mansion was organized to offer the best possible lifestyle to the nine members of the family and to facilitate the daily work of the household staff. Its style was a total break from that of other neighbouring houses of the same era in the suburbs of Croix. Clear guidelines governed the design of the building, which was commissioned in 1929: "air, light, work, sports, hygiene, comfort and efficiency".
Mallet-Stevens' work is not limited to the organisation of the building's volumes to best meet the needs of his customer; he also designs the interior decoration and the gardens which surround the vomma. The map of the villa is studied to ease the movements and to organize in a rationale way the day to day life in the building. Around the marge entry hall which welcomes the visitors, the domain of the parents is developing in the east wing, while the west wing is devoted to the kids and to the household staff. It also houses the rooms where the family gathers, such as the dining hand and the children dining hall, linked to the parc by an external staircase.
The choice of materials and furniture inside echoes the hierarchy of spaces: everything is conceived and adapted for use in places. Simplicity and functionality of the furniture prevail in all parts. The luxury of this house does not spread in the paneling or gilding, it unfolds in the richness of the materials used, such as the marble and wood.
The Villa Cavrois especially provided to its occupants a large number of amenities especially rare for the time, such as the distribution of hot water, cold and softened. Electricity occupies a special place in this building: each room has a radio loudspeaker and an electric clock. The apparatus for cleaning the machine, vacuum or power are also cooler. The Cavrois also have at their disposal heater bathrobe! The phone, present in all parts, allows people to communicate among themselves or with the outside world. Lighting has also been the subject of special care, in collaboration with engineer Solomon.
[edit] A difficult evolution
From 1940 the German Army requisitions the Villa. In 1947, at the request of Paul Cavrois, the architect Pierre Barbe makes changes to adapt the home to new lifestyles of the family who now hosts several couples.
After the death of Madame Cavrois in 1986, the furniture is scattered and the house is sold to a real estate company which plans to parcelize the park. The villa is abandoned and is quickly looted, ransacked and squatted.
In 1990, all of the city and the park are classified as Monument historique by decision of Conseil d'État.
That same year saw the birth of an association to protect and preserve the house and who want to work for its preservation. The association has, since its inception to seek the competent authorities on the fate of the villa and called numerous advocacy.
The State (Ministry of Culture) bought the building in 2001 and has, since 2004, the first campaign work for the restoration of the shell (closed and covered terraces, windows ...) and the return of domestic volumes to their state of origin.
However, work on the interior (including equipment, lighting, furniture, polychrome ...) are for the moment, not programmed.
As part of the decentralization culture, the state has offered to local and territorial transfer ownership of part of historic monuments it owns, including the Villa Cavrois. To date, no community is officially a candidate for taking over ownership of the building, only the Urban Community of Lille Métropole was interested but failed to timely file for such a transfer.
According to current plans, the opening to the public of Villa Cavrois is in 2011. [1]
[edit] Related articles
[edit] References
- ^ La Voix du Nord, édition du 14 septembre 2008, Brigitte EMERY, "CROIX : la villa Cavrois, symbole de l'édition 2008 des Journées du patrimoine"
[edit] External links
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