Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The holiday home of Dr Pierre Gauthier, located in Zonza, Corsica, was designed by architect Jean Prouvé between 1968 and 1969. This project follows a first collaboration between Prouvé and the Gauthier couple for their principal residence in Saint-Dié-des-Vosges, completed in 1962. The Corsican house, located on a lot to be plotted on the edge of the coast then wild, illustrates Prouvé's constructive principles: industrial prefabrication, light materials and modularity. The building permit was filed in 1968 and the certificate of conformity was issued in February 1969. Since then, the building and its original furniture – including a bulkhead shelf-sofa – have remained intact, without significant modification.

The construction takes place in the context of the 1960s, when Corsica is experiencing a start in the development of seaside tourism, while preserving preserved areas such as the municipality of Zonza. Jean Prouvé, a major figure in the modern movement, applies his technical innovations, combining functionality and industrial aesthetics. The prefabricated elements, produced in its workshops, are assembled on site, demonstrating a revolutionary approach for the time. The house, classified as a Historical Monument in 2025, thus bears witness to the adaptation of modern architecture to Mediterranean landscapes, while stressing Prouvé's pioneering role in the democratization of industrial design.

The 2025 protection order covers not only the building, but also its plated ground (park 1206, section I of the Zonza cadastre), guaranteeing the preservation of the whole in its original state. This double classification – registration and classification within a few days – reflects the exceptional heritage value of the site, both for its architecture and its custom-designed furniture. Today, the house remains a unique testimony of the collaboration between an enlightened sponsor, Dr. Gauthier, and a visionary architect, in a natural environment still unurbanized at the time.

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