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Origin and history

Villa Karidja is a villa in the Pas-de-Calais department of Touquet-Paris-Plage. Built in the first half of the 20th century, it is representative of the seaside architecture of the time. Its facades and roofs have been listed as historic monuments since December 1, 1997, highlighting its heritage importance.

Villa Karidja was built in 1927 by the architect Horace Pouillet, in perfect symmetry with its twin, the Glenwood villa (originally called villa Rarahut). The two villas, built for two sisters, share a prominent fireplace inspired by the ships, a ground floor with garages, and two square floors. Their modern style, mixing concrete, stone and coated, reflects a bold aesthetic research.

The architectural complex, located at 116 avenue de la Reine-Victoria, illustrates the influence of sea travel on the seaside architecture of the 1920s. Horace Puillet expresses a personal creativity, combining symmetry, innovative orientations and literary references, as Pierre Loti's novel evoked for the Glenwood villa. These villas testify to the rise of the Touquet-Paris-Plage as a popular seaside resort.

The more traditional side façades contrast with the modernity of the main façade. The inscription of historic monuments in 1997 protects this architectural complex, now emblematic of the local heritage. Villa Karidja remains a notable example of the adaptation of maritime and urban influences in the residential architecture of the early twentieth century.

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