Type de biens: Flat

More than a renovation, this project is a revelation of a rare Type G duplex on the south façade of the Cité Radieuse. The flat was acquired by Cité Radieuse enthusiasts, so the idea was to restore it to its original appearance with the greatest respect for Le Corbusier.

Target

To adapt this flat to a modern family life, by imagining new spaces, while respecting the place’s original design.

Course of action

To create a bright and peaceful family flat. Customize the spaces so that every member of the family makes it its own.

Achievement

On the ground floor, the kitchen was completely refurbished, the niches were revealed, and the entrance furniture was tailor-made. The window frames were given a new lease of life after thorough sanding. On the first floor, the two children’s bedrooms were recreated in length, and the original sliding door was restored to its original state. Charlotte Perriand’s wardrobes were heightened to create a different space for each girl. In the large master bedroom, a desk/bookcase runs along the wall and adds a graphic element. Finally, an incredible cellar on the first floor has been integrated into the flat, creating a vast dressing room on one side and a laundry room on the other.

A delicate renovation, enhancing the work of Le Corbusier while adapting it to our times.

LE QUARTIER

Sainte-Anne

Sainte-Anne is a typical residential area of the "city of 111 villages".

L'ARCHITECTE PURETÉ GRAPHIQUE

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Before…

Here is the beautiful potential we found right in the Vauban neighborhood: 150 m2 we transformed into a home. We created two contemporary duplexes by recovering the height under the roof.

Target

The stake was to create two family flats, with 3 bedrooms. The tool we used: volume and light! And of course, cherish and reveal the testimonies of the past: the stone window’s frames, the roof structure’s wood beams and the local Cassis’ stones retaining walls. This traditional materials work gives a contemporary and comfy look to the duplexes.

Course of action

We worked on the house plan to rethink the space and allow fluid movement, as a family home should. We created a mezzanine and let the natural light flow into the room. We worked mainly with white and raw materials like wood, and added light touches of colors to soften the atmosphere.

Achievement

In this room, the taylor-made oak joinery underlines the plain white walls and genuinely expands the space, in the wake of the fair wood floors. The skylight around us sheds dancing light on the pink and midnight blue walls. As we move forward, we enter a large living room, going on two floors under a row of windows. The kitchen is structured around a central wooden recess and a bookcase stair leading to the master suite. This architecture achieves to give us an overall feeling of conviviality and intimacy at the same time. As we get closer, we can get a glimpse of what is coming up next. A real cocoon is suspended under the roof, layered with soft carpeting and indirect light. As a natural extension of this space, we find a peaceful parental shower room. As for the children’s side, the two bedrooms share a large bathroom with white ceramics, contrasted with soft pink.

Partners

Pièce A Part, curation & works
Double V Gallery, artworks
Good Design Store, furniture (FermLiving & Ethnicraft)
Bonsoirs, bedding
The Socialite Family, furniture

Photos @OlivierAmsellem

A singular exercise to start from a blank sheet of paper, without constraint and leaving free rein to creation.

L'ARCHITECTE THE COLLECTIONIST

  • Crédits photosOlivier Amsellem
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Before…

Entre 1952 et 1954, André Devin et Yvan Bentz construisent l’immeuble La Résidence, initiant une “vague” de construction d’immeubles de rapport dans la ville.

La Résidence s’élève sur neuf niveaux, et se distingue des immeubles environnants par sa cage d’ascenseur vitrée et décentrée, et l’angle traité en retrait, annonçant une galerie couverte. Les deux ailes du “L” sont traitées différemment, dans un souci de recherche stylistique, mais aussi en raison de l’exposition au soleil. Ainsi, la façade Nord est traitée en béton banché et comporte un parement de pierre, ce qui produit un aspect opaque et très lisse. Cette rectitude est renforcée par des fenêtres en bandeau. A l’Ouest, en revanche, les balcons en saillie et les jeux de polychromie animent la façade. Une série de loggias superposées assure la transition avec l’immeuble voisin, attenant. Les architectes offrent ici un bel exemple d’intégration des principes de l’architecture moderne et fonctionnaliste à une réalisation urbaine régionale.

@Sylvie Denante

André Devin

Architecte français né en 1911, André Devin a joué un rôle important dans la reconstruction de la France après la Seconde Guerre mondiale. Très actif dans les années 1950 et 1960, il s’est illustré dans le domaine du logement social et de l’urbanisme. Son approche privilégiait la fonctionnalité et la qualité de vie des habitants, dans une vision moderniste et humaniste de l’architecture.

Yvan Bentz

Né en 1959, Yvan Bentz est un architecte français contemporain, cofondateur de l’agence Bentz + Krug. Il s’est fait connaître par des projets mêlant rigueur géométrique, attention aux usages, et sensibilité aux contextes urbains et naturels. Son travail explore les potentialités des matériaux bruts et de la lumière, dans une architecture sobre, durable et ancrée dans son époque.