Villa Paul Poiret facts for kids
The Villa Paul Poiret is a very special house in Mézy-sur-Seine, France. It's a great example of modernist architecture. This means it was built in a new and different style for its time.
The house was inspired by Cubism, an art style that uses geometric shapes. It was built in the early 1920s. Later, some fancy Art Deco features were added. The famous architect Robert Mallet-Stevens first designed this private home.
The house sits on a large piece of land, about 48,500 square metres (12.0 acres) of parkland. It is located west of Paris and looks out over the beautiful Seine Valley. The building is made of strong reinforced concrete and has a very geometric, blocky style.
Building a Unique Home
The fashion designer Paul Poiret asked for this house to be built in 1921. It was finished in 1925. Poiret was a very famous designer. He wanted a home that was as modern as his fashion.
From Fashion to Film
After some years, the house started to fall apart. Paul Poiret sold it in 1930. A well-known actress named Elvira Popescu bought the house. She lived there from 1938 to 1985.
In 1932, Popescu hired an architect named Paul Boyer. He changed some parts of the house. He made it look more like the "ocean liner" style of Art Deco. This meant changing windows to round portholes. He also made the corners of the terraces round.
Saving a Historic Landmark
The Villa Paul Poiret was recognized as an important historic landmark in 1984. This means it's a special building that needs to be protected.
By 1999, the house was in bad shape again. A person named Laurent Brun bought it. With help from French groups that protect old buildings, both the inside and outside of the villa were fixed up. They made it look like it did when it was new.
The Villa Paul Poiret is now part of the Journées de Patrimoine. This means "Heritage Days" in English. During this event, many historic buildings open their doors to the public. This happens on the third weekend in September.
