Description
A duplex flat on the first floor of a typical 1930s artists’ studio building
Set in an Art Deco building designed by architect Maurice Bonnemaison in 1932, this flat boasts an exceptional 180° view of Paris, the Eiffel Tower and the Seine.
This two-storey flat offers 147 m² of living space.
The first level comprises an entrance hall, a lounge with fireplace and a dining room (48m²) with its magnificent full-height glass roof, a fitted kitchen with sliding door, a bedroom and a shower room with toilet. This vast room, with its almost 6-metre high ceiling, opens onto a balcony offering spectacular 180-degree views of Paris, the Eiffel Tower, the Seine and the towers of La Défense. The property is bathed in sunshine thanks to its triple east-west-south exposure.
A superb staircase leads upstairs to a mezzanine with a study/library area, a bedroom, a bathroom and a separate toilet.
A cellar in the basement and a garage in the courtyard complete the property.
The flat benefits from a shared garden.
A typical 1930’s architecture
The building’s garden facade, clad in traditional light-coloured stone, is punctuated by double-height workshop bays and projecting rectangular balconies adorned with geometrically-designed wrought-iron balustrades. The whole features modenature typical of the period, based on a strong orthogonality, materialised by the vertical of a projecting central bow window and the horizontal of a balcony running along the top of the structure. The design of the bow window follows in the footsteps of architects of the period such as Michel Roux-Spitz, who modernised this motif by geometricising its shape.
The street façade, which is less expressive, is clad in softly tinted ceramic panelling punctuated by openings of varying sizes. The building’s entrance door, framed by two thick grey marble jambs, features a geometric motif in wrought iron and glass.
© Delphine Queme
The artists’ studios building
This building, designed by Maurice Bonnemaison, is in the typical style of the artists’ studios that developed in the 19th century and more widely in the 20th century.
The studio’s large windows give the façade a distinctive and recognisable typology. The north-facing aspect and occasional overhead lighting give the space a stable light level throughout the day, meeting the needs of the artists. The simple interior volumes and double height accentuate the feeling of an airy interior, allowing artists to take a step back from their works and their spatial dimension, or to experiment with different hangings.
The artist’s studio model appealed to the bourgeoisie in the 20th century. It was during this period that it began to be used in the construction of private homes, blending the characteristics of the studio with the codes and tastes of modern life through a variety of orientations. Iconic architects such as Le Corbusier, Robert Mallet-Stevens and Auguste Perret drew inspiration from this model in some of their best-known creations.
Maurice Bonnemaison
Maurice Bonnemaison was born in Rambouillet in 1882 and studied architecture at the studios of Jule Pillet and Edmond Paulin, graduating from the Beaux Arts in 1905.
He then worked as an architect in the 4th and 16th arrondissements of Paris between 1910 and 1914, then in Arpajon in the Essonne department. He designed a large number of workshops, apartment blocks and town houses, particularly in the 16th arrondissement.
