A small gem of modern architecture, the Villa Poiret is looking for a new owner for 4 million euros. A good excuse to delve into the history of this building, which has changed hands many times over the past century.
« It's truly a strange object because of its dimensions. There's something quite spectacular about it, which does indeed evoke the splendor of grand French architecture, the idea of a large modernist ocean liner, linked to the triumph of modernity and the industrial age. Aurélien Vernant, director of Architecture de Collection, the agency handling the sale, is at a loss for words to describe this building that overlooks the Seine Valley. And indeed, if you look at the figures, the property is truly impressive: 800 square meters in the main villa, 1,000 square meters of panoramic terraces, and over 50,000 square meters of land. A veritable modernist château, seeking its next owner for 4 million euros. An owner who will become part of the already vibrant history of the Villa Poiret, just the kind of ownership the architecture and design world loves.
It all began in the early 1920s. Paul Poiret, a leading couturier of his time, acquired 8 hectares in Mézy-sur-Seine for his retirement. He hesitated between several architects to build his future home. Louis Süe, a prominent designer of the early 20th century, was initially considered. Then Auguste Perret, a master of reinforced concrete, entered the competition. Ultimately, Robert Mallet-Stevens, the architect of the Villa Noailles and the Villa Cavrois, was chosen. Construction began. But, unfortunately, Paul Poiret went bankrupt in 1926. Forced to move into the caretaker's house, he sold the unfinished villa in 1930. Purchased by the actress Elvire Popesco, the villa was rebuilt, first under Mallet-Stevens, then under Paul Boyer. The work was completed in 1938.
It wasn't until the 1970s that the drama resumed in Mézy-sur-Seine. At the beginning of that decade, a section of the villa's grounds was sold for housing developments. Fourteen years later, it was finally listed as a historical monument. But this did little to promise a peaceful life for our modernist villa. And for good reason: repurchased in 1988, it was about to share space with five other villas, inspired by its silhouette and designed by Claude Parent, a master of oblique architecture. The project fizzled out. Villa Poiret was sold once again.
The new owner, businessman Sidney Nata, was not short of ideas. As early as 1991, he launched, again with Claude Parent, "The Mézy Confrontation." He invited 17 architects to design a model housing development. The list of invitees included some of the greatest architects of the time: Tadao Ando, Ricardo Bofill, Jean Nouvel, Norman Foster, Alvaro Siza, Frank Gehry, and Renzo Piano. But once again, due to a lack of funding, the venture failed. Five years later, Nata passed away. Villa Poiret was put up for sale once more.
First acquired in 1999 by a contemporary and industrial art enthusiast, it became the property of a developer in 2006. He hired Jean-Michel Wilmotte to develop the basements, including an indoor swimming pool. « The project never really came to fruition; the pool was never filled. It's part of the place's history, as if things never quite reached completion. You have to see it as a long-term project.Aurélien Vernant points out, « And that's what excites the imagination..
