In opposition to the austerity and functionalism of post-war reconstruction, many artists and architects, beginning in the 1950s, advocated for a new synthesis of the arts and a plastic approach to housing. Their goal was to reaffirm the place of humanity in domestic spaces, in complete continuity with nature and spirit. The development of new techniques, such as sprayed concrete over a steel framework, made this liberation of form possible.

Several trends emerged. Some, like Jacques Couëlle or André Bloc, emphasized personal expression, blending architecture and function through their artistic creations. Critic Michel Ragon, in his 1963 book Où vivrons-nous demain ? (Where Will We Live Tomorrow ?), coined the term “architecture-sculpture” to describe these works.

Others derived architectural form from a functional approach to space, remaining faithful to the principles of modern functionalism but without the orthogonal rigidity of early 20th-century design. This is the case with Antti Lovag, whose organic designs explore alternative ways to embody and meet the needs of inhabitants.

Born in Hungary in 1920, Antti Lovag studied naval architecture and metallurgical engineering in Stockholm, Sweden, before World War II. He then moved to France in 1946 to pursue architectural studies at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris.

After collaborating with Jean Prouvé, Lovag quickly developed a keen interest in organic habitats and visited the troglodyte dwellings in the Loire Valley. From 1963 to 1969, he worked with Jacques Couëlle, one of the pioneers of sculpture-architecture in France. Their fruitful collaboration led Lovag to experiment with the principles of organic architecture, breaking away from the austere urbanism of the high-rise buildings that characterized the era.

In 1968, businessman Antoine Gaudet commissioned Lovag to build an experimental bubble house in Tourettes-sur-Loup (Alpes-Maritimes). Due to administrative reluctance in granting building permits and changes in ownership, the construction extended into the 1990s. During the 1970s, Antti Lovag became the architect for the wealthy elite : he designed a bubble house for Pierre Bernard starting in 1971 in Port-la-Galère, followed by the famous Palais Bulles in Théoule-sur-Mer from 1975 to 1989, which was purchased by Pierre Cardin in 1992.

Instead of a fixed floor plan, the interior spaces of these villas are added to one another through the free proliferation of spherical bubble shapes, constructed using sprayed concrete over a framework (iron or reinforced cement). More than an architect, Antti Lovag defined himself as a “habitologist,” seeking to shape domestic spaces according to the needs of the human body and natural forms. In 1971, he co-founded the “Habitat Évolutif” association with Jean-Louis Chanéac, Claude Costy, and Pascal Häusermann, all of whom were representative of the organic avant-garde of the time. Later, with Christian and Hélène Roux, the association Homme et Habitat organized workshops on sprayed concrete techniques and published the bulletin “Habitat.”