Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Jaoul "A" and "B" houses were built between 1953 and 1955 on a plot of 1,000 m2 at 81 bis, rue de Longchamp, Neuilly-sur-Seine, by architect Le Corbusier (Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris). Commanded by André Jaoul and his son Michel, these two 300 m2 residences each, made of bricks and concrete, share a common garden, terrace and basement. Their design, marked by atypical vaults and walls for Le Corbusier, applies the Modulor system. The first plans date back to 1937, but construction started only after the war.

The houses, inhabited by the Jaouls until 1987, were sold to the English millionaire Lord Palumbo, who restored them partially before selling them to two sisters, present owners. Their inscription as historical monuments in 1966, at the initiative of André Malraux, underlines their architectural importance. Although private, they embody a synthesis between modernity and tradition, with raw materials (brick, concrete, wood) and roofs in Catalan vaults.

The project associated Le Corbusier with three other architects: André Wogenscky, German Samper and Jacques Michel. The facades and covers, protected since 1966, illustrate the evolution of the Corsican language towards poetic brutalism. The houses, rarely open to the public, remain a major testimony of 20th century domestic architecture in Île-de-France.

External links