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Pierre Chareau: Maison de Verre
(1883, Bourdeau -1950, NYC)
"The phases between a conception of a work
and its realisation often escapes to someone in the presence of a creation
of the human mind."
-Pierre Chareau
Pierre Chareau (sh-ROH) designed one of the greatest houses of the
International Style, adding materials the movement had never used before
in such an extent to create a work of architectural genius -- a structure
that is fully FUNCTIONAL and fully AESTHETIC in its SIMPLICITY.
Many great books, lectures and websites make
brief references to him and La Maison de Verre (VEH-RR, Paris, 1932, hereafter
MdV), but information on him and the MdV is frustratingly hard to get a hold
of.
Interior Designer Chareau joined efforts with Licensed Architect Bernard
Bijvoet (BEE-vo-ay) and Master Craftsman Louis Dalbet to design what would
be part gynological clinic for Dr. Dalsace and part private residence for
the doctor and his wife, Annie. The structure is well-known for its glass
block and steel strut combo and for its really impressive interior spaces.
Before going any more in depth, let's get a little history of the site at
31 Rue de Guillaume in Paris that this building was plugged into.
"Finalized" plans (as far as I can tell, plans
are never really "finalized" until the building is BUILT), were completed
in 1927, and MdV was supposed to be a three-story project. Unfortunately,
the lady who owned the top floor of the 18th century row house refused to
move. Thus, when construction began in 1928, Chareau was forced to build
around her. Or, rather, beneath her. Now, if you can imagine kicking the
majority of the load-bearing masonry structure out from under a top story
to erect an entirely structurally unassociated construct beneath it and admit
that this in itself is an amazing feat, then you understand the ga-ga attitude
many hold towards Chareau. The upper floor was propped up from below by the
beloved steel frame and concrete slab of the International Style. Not too
shabby, considering the structure technique was probably originated for subway
systems. Piece by piece, the masonry structure was replaced by steel, and
then the masonry was removed. When the masonry was replaced, the concrete
slabs were set in place. Construction took four years and cost somewhere
around 4 million francs. In this day and age, that's just over $500,000
USD.
The steel frame allowed for complete freedom
of internal space. The construction photo above spotlights this idea - you
can see the tall beams stretching ceiling to floor, allowing for free-standing
design around the beams. Walls and floors could be placed within the space,
totally independent of where the beams provided support. The glass block
wall itself, which is why the apartment is called La Maison de Verre (The
House of Glass), is able to stand alone without a heavy frame breaking its
pattern.
Ventilation through the glass block wall is
provided by a series of movable traps. A not-so-complicated weight and pulley
system opens the window panels, allowing for natural ventilation. This unique
system causes a minimum of visual impact on the glass facade of the
structure.
This photo shows how Chareau arranged the
floors inside the steel frame structure. The floors appear to float within
the space, although this is all due to the antithetical idea of the "magic
of engineering technology". Stanchions and girders welded together with bearing
plates allowed Chareau to begin and end floors wherever he wanted. The photograph
at the top of the page shows the dramatic results Chareau procured. The tall
living room space is perhaps the coup de grace of La MdV.
These two photos give an example of how Chareau's
doors worked. The top photo shows the door open, and on the bottom, the door
is shown closed. This glass and steel frame door between the staircase and
the clinic is suspended between steel tracks on the floor and ceiling. Just
the slightest push, and we have open sesame.
Chareau opened up the space options by
implementing sliding walls in La MdV. Aluminum partitions equipped with acoustic
insulation in the clinic created the ultimate multi-purpose space, available
for confidential consultation or private examination.
And here we have another example of sliding
goodness, compliments of Chareau. Retractable steel and aluminum stairways
on rollers allow throughout-the-house access between upper and lower
floors.
I would be doing Mssr. Chareau a great disservice
if I didn't spill every bean I know about materials in La Maison de Verre.
For starters, the materials are raw. I don't mean they're uncooked and bloody
to the touch -- I mean they're all showing. They're not covered up by plaster
or drywall or even a coat of paint or varnish. For the most part, the materials
of La MdV are unforgivingly bear and naked. Make no mistake: THIS is a GREAT
THING. You can see every rivet of what holds this house together. Every
connection is there for the inspection of the naked eye. Just by keeping
your eyes open, you can see how the wonderful mechanism of this house functions.
Steel, aluminum, and glass are exposed to the touch of the curious human
finger and hand. In this way, as it is in many other ways, La MdV is shameless
... okay, what'd ya expect? Some kind of invoice list of materials? Do I
look like a big, green Sweets Catalog to you?
Chareau is considered a master of design and space, a true advocator of French
craftmanship, and a founding member of early modernism and the Parisian Art
Deco movement. All this factors into Chareau's best known design -- La MdV.
He subscribed to the idea of "machine a habiter" -- roughly, a machine of
habitation. MdV is exactly that; every door and window works like a well-oiled
machine, where gliding open a sliding door in this house takes less effort
than it does to push the lever down on a toaster. I remember drooling over
this house and the flawless quality my professors would describe during lecture.
To my knowledge, La MdV still works like a well-oiled machine.
A Biblio ... of sorts
Pierre Chareau, Designer and Architect, Taschen Verlag, Cologne, 1992 (in English, French and German)
or
Pretty Words on the MdV
Special thanks to Ashley who provides the following information:
Courtesy of Paris Access (1994 Ed):
"You can get a glimpse of the exterior from the courtyard, but for a look inside of the early 1930s building - a tour de force in glass-block-and-steel construction - you must make a reservation in advance. * Send requests to : A.P. Vellay-Dalsace, 31 Rue. St.-Guillaume (between Blvd St.-Germain and Rue de Grenelle), 75007."
Of course, I am not a well-oiled machine. If I've made any mistakes, feel free to correct me and chastise me wholly.
Links to nice Chareau sites are also appreciated.