It's easy in this city to get caught in the usual tourist traps and, to be honest, to understand Paris, you need to visit those classic tourist sites at least once; although I'm not sure that logic should be applied to EuroDisney. Today we decided to continue our architecture theme from yesterday with a self curated metro/walking tour of Le Corbusier sites throughout the city.
Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris, as his parents knew him, is better known to architecture buffs as Le Corbusier. He was born in French speaking Switzerland only a few kms from the French border. Remarkably, Le Corbusier was a self taught architect. He created the name Le Corbusier, which was an altered form of his maternal grandfather's name, reflecting his belief that anyone could reinvent themselves. (That's something everyone should try at least once). It's probably fair to say that he not only re invented himself, but also architecture.
There's some good information on the internet to help you plan your own Le Corbusier tour but here's our story. We started at Villa La Roche (10 Square Du Docteur Blanche your GPS will think there's a locked gate here, but just persist and you'll be inside in a flash). The building was commissioned by a Swiss banker (what is with Swiss bankers and money) Raoul La Roche in 1923 and was one part house and one part private art gallery. When you come to what appears to be a locked door with a bar code and specific instructions about needing to be on a booked tour to obtain entry, simply ignore the instructions, open the door and you'll be greeted by a charming gallery attendant who will take your 10 Euros and let you have a free run through the building. There's some nice pics of how the site looked way back when and the best news is that the building actually feels like it's one hundred years old rather than having been renovated within an inch of its life.
Next stop was the Hotel Molitor. It's not a Le Corbusier building but it was built in the 1920s and is just down the road from, our next stop, Le Corbusier's apartment. The Hotel Molitor has had a checked history. The complex was built in 1929 and opened by Olympic swimmers Aileen Riggin, Matthew Gauntlett and Johnny Weissmuller of Tarzan fame. The pool was the centrepiece of the hotel and it was probably the first place a bikini was worn in public way back on 5th July 1946. The model was a Parisian, of course, Micheline Bernardini and it was part of a fashion parade at the pool. Somehow or other this uber cool building and pool fell on hard times. In the early 1970s, the pool became an ice skating rink and the whole complex closed in 1989, whereupon it became a hangout for street artists and people who generally liked a good time that often didn't fit within the parameters of the legal system. Apparently it was a site for illegal warehouse style parties including one such gathering that attracted over 5000 people in 2001. There was talk of demolishing the site, until a developer stepped in with plans to bring the building back to its former glory.
It's now reopened as a luxury hotel and the owners have done a great job of reviving a 1920s aesthetic. You can easily imagine Johnny Weismuller swinging from a balcony and plunging in for a few laps of the pool. However, the hotel foyer is another story. It seems that some overpaid smart arse interior designer has decided to make a statement by incorporating elements of old and new into the foyer with a Rolls Royce covered in graffiti greeting you as you enter the front door. There's also graffiti in other parts of the lobby, together with some really beautiful 1920s furniture. It's one of those post modernist statements that seek to blend the past with the present and end up an aesthetic dud! Here's some pics that might give you some idea of what's going on at Hotel Molitor and trust me it's not all bad.
From Hotel Molitor it's a short walk to Appartment Atelier de le Corbusier at 24 Rue Nungesser et Coli. The great man designed this block of apartments and reserved himself the penthouse. He liked it so much he lived here until his death in 1965. It's a steep walk up seven flights of stairs to the museum. Persist, it's worth the effort. Again it all looks locked up but turn the handles on what appears to be a locked door and you'll be greeted by a Le Corbusier enthusiast who will take your 10 Euros and give you access all areas to the apartment. It was all very cool, although I'm still trying to come to terms with the idea of a bed on extra high legs.
From his rooftop garden, Le Corbusier gave himself what must have been an uninterrupted view of the Bois du Boulogne back in 1923. He could also have watched the action on centre court at Roland Garros which is just across the way. Modern residents of the building can also see Paris St Germain play home games in their you beaut new stadium directly across the road from the apartments. Who knew Le Corbusier was so into sport. Interestingly, all the apartments, with the exception of Le Cobusier's rooftop residence, were designed with no interior rooms apart from the bathroom. Owners could live open plan if they so desired or erect some walls with panels purchased from your local Bunnings if you liked a little more privacy.
After the excitement of the apartment grab a cup of tea and scones at TEAthécha (119 Rue de la Glacière). It's only a short walk and you can spend some time trying to work out the thinking behind that bed on high legs.
You can then swing by Ozenfant House which looks like it can't be accessed by mere mortals, but there's a pretty good view from the street which gives you some idea of the genius of Le Corbusier, if you needed more proof of that by this stage. This was built as a house and studio for his mate Amedee Ozenfant, a Cubist painter. It's a famous example of early minimalist architecture and not to be missed.
Next stop is the stunning, Swiss Pavilion in the grounds of the Cite International University. As a bonus you get to walk through Parc Mont Souris, which translates to Park Mount Mouse. That's more confusing than Le Corbusier's bed on high legs but it's a stunningly beautiful park and a great place to watch Parisians relaxing on a Friday afternoon. As is the case with every Le Corbusier building you'll need to push a doorbell to gain access. Be patient eventually someone will come. At the university they only want 2 Euros, but you'll need to have cash. The Pavilion is a residential student college and the common room on the bottom floor is home to a magnificent mural painted by Le Corbusier. For your money, you also get access to a student room on the first floor in original condition. The Cite International University is where the 1968 riots started and it was home to Red Danny who I talked about in yesterday's post. So there's more than just Le Corbusier to this place.
We were following a blog site of a Le Corbusier enthusiast to help us track our hero's Parisian works. The blogger told us the next segment was a 'quick stroll' from Swiss House to Maison Planeix, a Le Corbusier house dating back to the 1920s. The quick stroll took 45 minutes and I would suggest jumping on the tram to make the trip more efficient. It's a nice enough neighbourhood with a big Olympic Stadium, but there's no good reason to walk all that way. Again there's no access to Maison Planeix, but the look is unmistakable and apparently it contains his signature rooftop garden and needless to say the design of the exterior is timeless. Some modern architects would do well to complete this walking tour to remind them what good design looks like. The 45 minute 'quick stroll' could be an act of penance for the many ugly buildings they have given the world over the last 50 years.
Next stop was the Fondation Armee du Salut at 12 Rue Cantagrel. This was built for the Salvation Army in 1930 as a shelter for homeless people and it still fulfills the same function in 2024. It is actually a short stroll from the previous site and it's a very striking building, albeit in need of a lick of paint. The colours on the facade were considered radical at the time, but they still work and given that the Salvos still operate from this place almost a hundred years after it was built, it gives you an idea of Le Corbusier's practical genius as well as his aesthetic prowess. From here it's an easy walk to Biblioteque Francois Mitterand, which has a range of transport options to get you back into the centre of the city.
This featured blog entry was written by djscooterman from the blog Europe 2024.
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