Dwell - 8 Underrated Buildings Around the Globe; Villa le Lac by Le Corbusier in Corseaux, Switzerland I drove down to Corseaux, in Vevey, to see a very small house: Le Corbusier s Petite Maison Coseaux (also called Villa le Lac). The house was built for his mother back in 1924. I had looked at the website, which stated it would be open for visitors, but when I arrived it was closed for construction. Just before getting into the car and returning to the hotel, I changed my mind and jumped the garden wall. Moments later I found myself all alone in this architectural curiosity. The house is 64 square meters; its a simple rectangular concrete structure with a garden terrace, open floor plan, and large windows. But even though its small, Le Corbusier managed to fit a living room, a bedroom, powder room, small salon that could be converted to a bedroom for guests, vestibule, bathroom, kitchen, and closet into this house. Its the first example of modern architecture by Le Corbusier in Switzerland. The stroke of genius was a wall that he built in front of the lake obstructing the view. He designed a window in the wall, with a table and two benches inside the garden, so his mother could sit and watch the lake while being protected from the sun and wind. Sitting in front of the same window, I imagined what it might have been like, being here almost 90 years ago the day they finished construction. Did mother and son have a cup of the here? Feeling slightly guilty that I was trespassing—but still with a grin on my face—I sat there for a couple of hours in my own architecture history lesson surrounded by the Rhone valley and the Alps in Corseaux and the gorgeous view of the lake. I truly had a magic moment. —Designer Søren Rose, who was featured in Dwells issue on gamechangers in design, The Now 99 Image courtesy of Olivier Martin-Gambier for Fondation Le Corbusier/ ADAGP.;
Posted on: Wed, 07 Jan 2015 05:08:55 +0000
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