Architecture: Pierre Chareau, Bernard Bijvoet, Louis Dalbet
Project: La Maison de verre
Years: 1928−1932
Geo: Paris, FR
Photos: François Halard, Dominique Vellay, August Fischer
Text: Anastasia Strashnova
La Maison de verre, meaning "glass house" in French, was designed by architect and furniture designer Pierre Chareau, his colleague Bernard Bijvoet, and metalworker Louis Dalbet.
The house’s appearance was influenced by a resident’s refusal to sell her apartment to new owners. As a result, the three lower floors of the 18th-century mansion were demolished, and a new building was integrated into the old one.
In the 1920s and 1930s in France, the architectural community was divided into two camps. Some believed that residential houses should be conservative, using stone and various types of wood. Others proposed using glass and metal to make projects affordable yet aesthetic. The architects of La Maison de verre combined modernism in industrial materials, clear forms, and Art Deco with its emphasis on details and decor.
Pierre Chareau, primarily a furniture designer who consistently worked with details, is often said to have created La Maison de verre as a piece of furniture respecting traditions but with a touch of innovation and a desire to shock (evident in the semi-transparent facade wall).
The house’s facade is made of frosted glass blocks. The windows were thoughtfully designed for frequent ventilation. Silhouettes of people and interior activities were intermittently visible through the glass.
The first floor was reserved for medical offices, furnished with steel tube furniture, convenient for sanitization.
The second floor features a spacious living room and a solarium. A retractable ladder leads to the third floor’s bedrooms and bathrooms.
The house includes numerous partitions of glass, sheet, and perforated metal, which slide, fold, and rotate.
@gorkjournal
Project: La Maison de verre
Years: 1928−1932
Geo: Paris, FR
Photos: François Halard, Dominique Vellay, August Fischer
Text: Anastasia Strashnova
La Maison de verre, meaning "glass house" in French, was designed by architect and furniture designer Pierre Chareau, his colleague Bernard Bijvoet, and metalworker Louis Dalbet.
The house’s appearance was influenced by a resident’s refusal to sell her apartment to new owners. As a result, the three lower floors of the 18th-century mansion were demolished, and a new building was integrated into the old one.
In the 1920s and 1930s in France, the architectural community was divided into two camps. Some believed that residential houses should be conservative, using stone and various types of wood. Others proposed using glass and metal to make projects affordable yet aesthetic. The architects of La Maison de verre combined modernism in industrial materials, clear forms, and Art Deco with its emphasis on details and decor.
Pierre Chareau, primarily a furniture designer who consistently worked with details, is often said to have created La Maison de verre as a piece of furniture respecting traditions but with a touch of innovation and a desire to shock (evident in the semi-transparent facade wall).
The house’s facade is made of frosted glass blocks. The windows were thoughtfully designed for frequent ventilation. Silhouettes of people and interior activities were intermittently visible through the glass.
The first floor was reserved for medical offices, furnished with steel tube furniture, convenient for sanitization.
The second floor features a spacious living room and a solarium. A retractable ladder leads to the third floor’s bedrooms and bathrooms.
The house includes numerous partitions of glass, sheet, and perforated metal, which slide, fold, and rotate.
@gorkjournal