Dream Residence: The E1027 was designed by Eileen Gray, the quiet, Anglo-Irish artist, designer, and architect who redefined modernism. Amid the art and ideas that exploded in 1920s Paris, Gray worked alone and was passionate about her privacy: she painted, designed furniture, made rugs, and sold her wares at her own boutiques.
E1027 was built in collaboration with her Romanian journalist and architect lover, Jean Badovici, and is a cryptic expression of their union. The building diverges from the rigidity of Le Corbusier's theories, in its prioritisation of the personal, creating a home that is constructed around the personalities of people. Le Corbusier once said, “A house is a machine for living in”, whereas Gray believed that “Formulas are nothing. People are everything”.
She felt that "architecture must be its own decoration." She avoided adding unnecessary ornamentation to the walls, instead choosing to allow the natural beauty of the surroundings to shine through. The result was a fusion of art and nature that created a sense of gentle equanimity, with the sun, land, and sea serving as the villa's decorative elements. E1027 was a reflection of Gray's desire for peace, simplicity, and harmony.
Photography: @marygaudin
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