The architects Galle Lauriot-Prévost and Dominique Perrault were looking for a weekend country home outside of Paris. They cared nothing about a quaint farmhouse in need of little TLC because they were seeking a balance between the city and nature. They desired something bigger, more comprehensive, even an architectural purpose.
The National Library of France in Paris was designed and built by 36-year-old Perrault, who won the competition in 1989. Since then, he has been putting the finishing touches on a master plan for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, which calls for transforming a derelict industrial area along the Seine.
While considering their possibilities for a weekend trip, the couple thought about staying in an existing building, such as a small, abandoned factory. However, a real estate agent who specialized in homes with architectural designs showed them a modernist treasure they had never heard of. Lauriot-Prévost, who is also an interior architect, and Perrault had never heard of it.
Famous modernist architect Le Corbusier resided in France during the 20th century. During this time, other architects like Jean Dubuisson also made significant contributions to architecture. Traditionalist architect Jean Dubuisson, a graduate of the École des Beaux-Arts, created modernist apartment buildings that contributed to the development of a nation’s infrastructure during its post-World War II reconstruction.
Following the Paris student uprising in 1968, the home lost its popularity. The fact that it was constructed during a period when people were fighting against things like consumerism doesn’t change the reality that some people believe it is overshadowed by other, more famous buildings. After this occurred, the people who had backed modernism at the time lost faith in it, and it has been allowed to deteriorate over time.
The couple was shown around the property that was on life support by the architect. The couple was overcome with emotion when they viewed the property because it was in risk of being demolished by a developer.
The building’s design was meticulously considered by François Dubuisson. If they didn’t, he advised others not to bother with it.
White roof and floor lines, space dividers between the terraces, and an expanded version of the sun breakers that Le Corbusier envisioned for his facades are some of the ways in which the white planes, corners, and geometries from International Style modernism are reworked into a new synthesis inside the home. Landscaped like the Zen gardens Dubuisson had seen in Japan, the abstract lines and planes that surround the house frame terraces. The house vibrates with a feeling of French Cartesian order.
A manifesto for a new modernism in France was created by Dubuisson. The foundation of this new modernism is the notion that beautiful buildings should also be functional and egalitarian.
Although they share a home, Perrault and Lauriot-Prévost do not occupy it full-time. They own two dogs and online-purchased mid-century modern furniture. They worked at a dining room table that served as their desk during COVID-19.
The fact that the house has so many various spaces for individuals to use makes it a project. For instance, the horse barn is being converted into an archive for shows, and the basement is being used for exhibitions. The surrounding gardens are being transformed into a study centre, and the entrance gate is being transformed into an artist’s flat.
Architects are renowned for taking on massive projects, such as converting a private villa into a campus for a bigger design community. Perrault and Lauriot-Prévost are doing precisely that at the Domaine de Frapotel with a weekend house programme that will enrich the life of the villa significantly.