Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Villa Sayer is a private residence built between 1972 and 1974 (or 1973-1975 according to sources) in Glanville (Calvados, Normandy) by Marcel Breuer, emblematic architect of Bauhaus, and his partner Mario Jossa. Ordered by industrialist Louis Sayer, it is the only house built in France by Breuer, based on initial plans dating back to 1959 for an unbuilt residence in Switzerland. Its innovative architecture rests on a paraboloid double-hyperboloid concrete roof, supported by cables and external poles, illustrating the search for harmony between the building and its environment.

The villa is distinguished by its exclusive use of concrete (white, boucharded or textured in planks), applied both outdoors and indoors, where each detail (pathways, stairs, coverings) was designed in collaboration with the owners. It is part of a 55-hectare estate, the Haras de la Huderie (pure-breeding), and also houses furniture signed by Charles Eames. Ranked a Historic Monument in 2005 (after an inscription in 1992), it embodies the legacy of architectural modernism in France.

The original plans, intended for actor Peter Ustinov for a house in Vevey (Switzerland), were adapted for Glanville. The villa also symbolizes the transatlantic collaboration between Breuer (located in New York) and its French clients, with regular exchanges of detailed sketches. Its landscape integration and structural audacity make it a rare testimony to modern organic architecture, while serving as a private residence within an active stud.

The heritage protection covers the entire house, as well as its swimming pool and the entire plot (cadaster B 120). Although privately owned, the villa participates in European Heritage Days, offering an exceptional overview of Breuer's late work, marked by its expertise in concrete and its dialogue with Norman nature.

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