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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The villa Mathon, located in Brest, Finistère, was designed by architect Jean-Baptiste Mathon, also author of the city's reconstruction plan after the Second World War. Built between 1949 and 1950 for Armand Marc, a Brest entrepreneur specializing in public works and close to Mathon, this house embodies a global architectural approach. It is distinguished by its harmony between the environment, architecture and interior spaces, with a facade and a garden adapted to each function of the rooms.

Inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright's architecture, the villa Mathon moved away from the prevailing MRU (Ministry of Reconstruction and Urbanism) style at the time. It has retained a furniture of exceptional origin, but almost disappeared in 1989 due to a project to enlarge the adjacent street. After negotiations, she was protected by an order of 23 November 1995, including the house, its garden and its fence. In January 2021, the then unoccupied villa was purchased.

The villa Mathon illustrates a rare realization by Jean-Baptiste Mathon in Brest, marking his commitment to an integrated and autonomous architecture. Its history also reflects the challenges of preserving modern heritage, between urban threats and heritage recognition. The protection of 1995 helped to safeguard this architectural ensemble, furniture and landscape, witness to the innovation of the 1950s in Brittany.

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