Construction of the workshop house 1966-1969 (≈ 1968)
Directed by Georges Johannet for the Hajdu.
1977
Roof replacement
Roof replacement 1977 (≈ 1977)
Shingle replaced with bitumen.
16 juin 2023
Historical Monument
Historical Monument 16 juin 2023 (≈ 2023)
Inscription in full with its plot.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The studio house of artists of Stephen and Luce Hajdu, located 3 bis aisle of the Tower, in full, and its plot, appearing in the cadastre in section AN No. 247, as delimited on the plan annexed to the decree: inscription by order of 16 June 2023
Key figures
Étienne Hajdu - Sculptor and sponsor
Hungarian designer, user of the workshop.
Luce Hajdu (née Ferry) - Painter and sponsor
Wife of Stephen, user of the workshop.
Georges Johannet - Architect
Designer of the house-workshop (1966-1968).
Origin and history
The studio house of Stephen and Luce Hajdu, located in Itteville, Île-de-France, is an architectural achievement of the 3rd quarter of the 20th century (1966-1969). Placed on a rocky and wooded land overlooking the plain to the north, its organic and complex shape, marked by curved and oblique lines, reflects the artistic universe of sculptor Étienne Hajdu. The H-shaped plan perhaps evokes the initials of the sponsors, while its concrete structure, with moulded shells like rocks, dialogue with the landscape. The two wings house respectively the sculpture workshop (in the east) and the painting space of Luce Hajdu as well as the private rooms (in the west), connected by a central body dedicated to the living room and the kitchen.
Designed by the architect Georges Johannet (1925-1968), the house rests on a base of six concrete hulls, supporting wall-posts filled with parpaings, all coated with cement. The roofs, initially covered with shingle and then bitumen in 1977, fit the curves of the hulls, while the southern entrances, framed by bas-reliefs d'Hajdu, lead either to the workshop (via a ramp for monumental works), or to the living room (by cylindrical steps). Inside, the ceilings in chestnut slats, folded in reverse echo to the roofs, create different perspectives between the rooms.
This project is part of the continuation of the collaboration between Johannet and the Hajdu couple, the architect having already conceived their residence-workshop in Bagneux in the 1950s, then its extension in 1960. The house-workshop of Itteville, classified as a Historical Monument in 2023, thus embodies a synthesis between art, architecture and landscape, while at the same time testifying to the life and work of two major artists of the twentieth century.
The exact address, 3 bis aisle de la Tour (91760 Itteville), located the monument in the department of Essonne, on a plot cadastralized under number 247 (section AN). Its state of conservation and its openness to the public are not specified in available sources.
