Published on December 04, 2024Updated on December 10, 2024
Close to Monaco, the Cap Moderne, Eileen Gray and Le Corbusier site in Cap Martin is a unique and fascinating architectural complex. Built on the coast, in an unspoilt environment, it bears witness to the work of major figures of architecture and design in the twentieth-century. Guided tour with Antide Viand, site administrator for the National Monuments Centre.
Rendez-vous in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin
On the Pointe de Cabbé in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, the Cap Moderne hangar is the starting point for the tour. If you take the coastal path - the one that links Monaco to Menton - a little further on you'll come to a small gateway, from which a flight of steps leads down into the vegetation. Once you reach a terraced plot planted with lemon trees, the geometric lines of a white house come into view: this is villa E-1027, designed and built by the Irish designer and architect Eileen Gray and the architect Jean Badovici between 1926 and 1929.
Facing the sumptuous landscape of the bay of Roquebrune and the Monegasque coast, the building is perfectly adapted to its environment, hugging the terraced terrain just above the rocks and the sea. "Everything in the house evokes sailing. You have to imagine it as a boat that has landed on the coast and is ready to set sail again," explains Antide Viand. The villa has two levels, an upper ground floor and a lower ground floor. The first thing we discover is the small kitchen at the back. Functionality and modernism are already present, through the geometric shapes, the blocks of primary colours and the graphic lines of the deliberately visible electrical network.
Why E-1027?
Enigmatic at first glance, the villa's name simply refers to the intertwined initials of its two designers: E for Eileen, 10 for J (the 10ᵉ letter of the alphabet), 2 for B and 7 for G. Designed for Jean Badovici, he remained the owner until his death in 1956. Eileen Gray only stayed at the villa for a few years, until 1932. There is a veil of mystery surrounding the nature of their relationship, whether they were just friends or a couple. The fact remains that within the walls of this house, the atmosphere is one of obvious complicity.
Villa E-1027, a masterpiece of modernism
Under the porch, the stencilled inscription "Enter slowly" invites you, with a touch of mischief, to enter the cramped entrance delimited by a fixed piece of furniture, the screen-wall partition, designed to find a place for all things. Then there's the vast living room with its large sofa, the long accordion bay windows and the balcony, whose blue awnings provide a perfect frame for the Mediterranean. A soft light fills the room.
In the 1920s, the emerging modernist architecture defined by Le Corbusier in particular, advocated a simple, functional style. "Eileen Gray and Jean Badovici took up the codes (...), but designed architecture around the individual and his or her specific needs," explains Antide Viand. In fact, designed "for a single, sporty man who has friends round", the villa creates open spaces that encourage conviviality, but also favours intimacy, like the small alcove with its bench seat, or the independent bedrooms with their direct access to the exterior.
Controversial paintings
Guest of Jean Badovici in 1938 and 1939, the famous architect Le Corbusier left his mark on the villa in the form of several murals, such as La Femme rouge à la pelote on the outside wall of the entrance. It's actually quite paradoxical," notes Antide Viand, "given that Le Corbusier initially praised the purity of the architecture. His pictorial work, as soon as it takes over the walls, bears witness to a different approach". A pictorial intrusion that Eileen Gray, it seems, did not appreciate...
A model of ingenuity and innovation
Villa E-1027 "is a kind of manifesto for modernity and technology. Eileen Gray looked for innovative devices, but also materials of her time and avant-garde materials, even if it meant using them differently", Antide Viand sums up. Versatile, fixed or mobile, the furniture, custom-designed by Eileen Gray, reflects this innovative spirit. The height-adjustable nickel-plated circular side table, the Bibendum armchair in coated fabric, the celluloid elements and lights, the modular shelves built into the walls... all have since become design classics, reissued or copied many times over.
An exemplary restoration
If, almost a century after its conception, time seems to have done nothing to erase its modernity, it is also thanks to the excellent restoration work. Listed as a historic monument in 2000 and then purchased by the Conservatoire du Littoral with the help of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin town council, villa E-1027 was in a state of serious disrepair at the time. Work began in 2003, initially to consolidate the reinforced concrete structure and restore the existing structure. Then, under the guidance of the Cap Moderne association and with the support of international specialists, the aim became to restore the villa to its original 1929 state. Particular care has been taken to recreate the furniture exactly as it was in the materials used at the time - the originals having been sold at auctions in Monaco in 1991 and 1993. A knowledgeable fan of the villa, Prince Albert of Monaco was one of the private patrons who made a major contribution to its restoration.
Étoile de Mer, the reign of friendship
The tour continues in the adjacent grounds, where the Étoile de Mer stands. This building was constructed in 1949 by Thomas Rebutato, a plumber from Nice who came here to set up a small bar-restaurant in the spirit of a fisherman's hut. Inside, near the decorated counter, or on the terrace in the shade of the pergola with the sea as far as the eye can see, it's easy to imagine the simple, friendly atmosphere that must have permeated the place.
On the façade, a painting by Le Corbusier depicts Thomas Rebutato and a sea urchin fisherman, under the inscription "À l'Étoile de Mer règne l'amitié". From the moment it opened, Le Corbusier was one of the regulars at Étoile de Mer, and a true friendship developed between the architect and the owner.
Le Corbusier cabanon, simple living by the sea
Adjacent to the Étoile de Mer, the wooden cabin built by Le Corbusier in 1952 bears witness to this link. This rustic-looking hut also demonstrates the genius of the architect. "It's an architectural object that fascinates architects: it's ultra-minimalist, perfectly functional and reversible. It responds in anticipation to some very topical concerns." Antide Viand points out.
Built according to the rules of Modulor - its system of harmonious proportions based on human dimensions - its interior is an example of optimisation, with its sofa bed, work table, built-in storage units and natural ventilation system. The garden, with its exotic and endemic species, adds a touch of paradise to what he called his "château on the Côte d'Azur". Since 2016, the cabanon has been one of 17 Le Corbusier buildings or sites included on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
An unmissable visit on the Côte d'Azur
Open to the public since 2015, the Cap Moderne, Eileen Gray and Le Corbusier site in Cap Martin has been a resounding success. In 2023, around 12,000 people visited the site. Open from April to October for guided tours only, bookings can be made online via the dedicated website of the National Monuments Centre.
Le Corbusier's camping units and leisure accommodation
The tour ends with the five camping units that Le Corbusier had built in 1957 for Thomas Rebutato. Two single beds, a washbasin, the use of bold colours on the facades and ceilings, and once again, all the principles of Le Corbusier's functional and aesthetic accommodation are found in these 8 sq.m rooms that welcomed holidaymakers until the mid-1980s. Today, guests and artists in residence still stay there occasionally, as does Magda Rebutato, a historic figure on the site and president of the Eileen Gray Association. Etoile de Mer. Every summer, Le Corbusier came to stay at this historic site.
As you wander around this atypical site, from the villa to the cabanon, furnished as they were originally, architecture and intimate stories mingle, giving visitors the feeling of being a privileged guest in the heart of a living heritage. In a remarkable natural setting, it offers the vision of brilliant minds who left their mark on their time and brought to life their definition of the simple pleasures of life by the sea. A certain idea of the Mediterranean dolce vita.
Exceptional villas to admire
For fans of architecture and beautiful homes, read our article on the most beautiful villas in Monaco. From emblematic houses to the Principality's hidden treasures, they all offer a fabulous insight into the architecture of yesterday and tomorrow.
On the Côte d'Azur, discover what to do in Monaco for more exciting and inspiring visits.
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