Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Villa Vent d'Aval, located in Grimaud in the Var, was commissioned in 1925 by Edmond Bernheim, developer of the Beauvallon estate, to architect Pierre Chareau. Designed to serve as a holiday home for three generations of the Bernheim family, its construction began in 1928 but was interrupted after Edmond's death in 1930. The building, designed in reinforced concrete and traditional masonry, remains unfinished until after the Second World War.

The site was finally taken over by local architect André Barbier-Bouvet, in the absence of Chareau, who died in the United States in 1950. Despite later modifications, such as replacing original carpentry with aluminum elements, the villa retains good general condition. It was listed as a Historic Monument in 1993, including the villa, garage and park.

Edmond Bernheim, sponsor of the villa, is also the father-in-law of Dr Dalsace, known for ordering Chareau the famous Glass House in Paris. This link illustrates the importance of Chareau in modern French architecture, although his work in Grimaud was completed by another architect after his death.

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