- Villa Cavrois
Villa Cavrois in Croix is a large mansion built in 1932, for Paul Cavrois, an industrialist from
Roubaix - he was working in the textile industry - by Parisian architectRobert Mallet-Stevens .A modern concept
Villa Cavrois is a testimony of a lifestyle as it was conceived by modern architects contemporaries of
Le Corbusier , in the late 20s. Luminosity, hygiene and comfort are the keywords who are at the bottom line of such buildings. Villa Cavrois illustrates with simplicity and elegance this spirit. This large modern mansion is organized to managed in the best possible way the life of the nine members of the family and the daily duties of the house staff. Its style is a total break from the one of the houses of the same era which are neighboring it in the suburbs of Croix. The program of this building which has been ordered in 1929 is clear : "air, light, work, sports, hygiene, comfort and efficiency".The work of Mallet-Stevens is not limited to organize the volumes of a building to answer at best to the needs of his customer, he also designs the interior decoration and the gardens which surround the vomma. The map of the villa is studied to ease the movements and to organize in a rationale way the day to day life in the building. Around the marge entry hall which welcomes the visitors, the domain of the parents is developing in the east wing, while the west wing is devoted to the kids and to the household staff. It also houses the rooms where the family gathers, such as the dining hand and the children dining hall, linked to the parc by an external staircase.
The choice of materials and furniture inside echoes the hierarchy of spaces: everything is conceived and adapted for use in places. Simplicity and functionality of the furniture prevail in all parts. The luxury of this house does not spread in the paneling or gilding, it unfolds in the richness of the materials used, such as the marble and wood.
The Villa Cavrois especially provided to its occupants a large number of amenities especially rare for the time, such as the distribution of hot water, cold and softened. Electricity occupies a special place in this building: each piece has a loudspeaker TSF and electric clock. The apparatus for cleaning the machine, vacuum or power are also cooler. The Cavrois also have at their disposal heater bathrobe ! The phone, present in all parts, allows people to communicate among themselves or with the outside world. Lighting has also been the subject of special care, in collaboration with engineer Solomon.
A difficult evolution
From
1940 the German Army requisitions the Villa. In1947 , at the request of Paul Cavrois, the architect Pierre Barbe makes changes to adapt the home to new lifestyles of the family who now hosts several couples.After the death of Madame Cavrois in 1986, the furniture is scattered and the house is sold to a real estate company which plans to parcelize the park. The villa is abandoned and is quickly looted, ransacked and squatted.
In 1990, all of the city and the park are classified as
Monument historique by decision ofConseil d'État .That same year saw the birth of an association to protect and preserve the house and who want to work for its preservation. The association has, since its inception to seek the competent authorities on the fate of the villa and called numerous advocacy.
The State (Ministry of Culture) bought the building in 2001 and has, since 2004, the first campaign work for the restoration of the shell (closed and covered terraces, windows ...) and the return of domestic volumes to their state of origin.
However, work on the interior (including equipment, lighting, furniture, polychrome ...) are for the moment, not programmed.
As part of the
decentralization culture, the state has offered tolocal and territorial transfer ownership of part of historic monuments it owns, including the Villa Cavrois. To date, no community is officially a candidate for taking over ownership of the building, only theUrban Community of Lille Métropole was interested but failed to timely file for such a transfer.According to current plans, the opening to the public of Villa Cavroix is in 2011. [La Voix du Nord, édition du 14 septembre 2008, Brigitte EMERY, "CROIX : la villa Cavrois, symbole de l'édition 2008 des Journées du patrimoine"]
References
Related articles
*
Villa Paul Poiret
*Villa Noailles External links
* [http://archiguide.free.fr/AR/mallet-stevens.htm Robert Mallet-Stevens in ARCHIGUIDE]
* [http://www.nordnet.fr/mallet-stevens Site of the association for the preservation of the Villa Cavrois]
* [http://aplressources.free.fr/M-S/galerie03.html MALLET-STEVENS picture gallery (pages 3-4-5)]
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