Modern duplex

In a small 5-storey condominium, this duplex flat has a surface area of 137 m² under the Carrez law. The top floor, which faces east-west and has a through layout, takes up the entire first floor. It comprises a pleasant 30 m² living room, a study, a master bedroom with dressing room, all three opening onto a planted balcony, a fitted kitchen, a second bedroom, a bathroom and a laundry room. Served by a staircase with its own access from the landing, the lower level comprises two large bedrooms, one of which opens onto a balcony, a shower room and a storage room. Two cellars and a lock-up garage complete the property.

In Boulogne-Billancourt, the flat is located in the popular Princes-Marmottan district. This residential area is home to a large number of 1930s villas and apartment blocks. Close to schools and services, it is just a ten-minute walk from the metro.

Inside this refurbished flat, the architect has created open spaces bathed in light thanks to large windows. Several of the walls have been enlivened by bright colours, helping to make this a bright and cheerful family home.

Edith Schreiber-Aujame

Edith Schreiber-Aujame (1919-1998) was an American architect. Like her husband Roger Aujame, she was a disciple of Le Corbusier.

Very active, the couple took part in the architectural effervescence of the 1950s. They set up a group to prepare the 9th International Congress of Modern Architecture (Aix-en-Provence, 1953), the CIAM-Paris. The architects Pierre Riboulet, Jean-Louis Véret and Gérard Thurnauer also took part. Together, they agreed to carry out an “analysis of housing conditions” in Boulogne-Billancourt, “which brings together the essential characteristics of the Paris region”, in order to define a “Housing Charter for the greatest number”. The Aujame couple were living in Boulogne at the time, so this was a practical field for analysis.

Edith Schreiber-Aujame designed this apartment block between 1955 and 1957. The building is an extension of and takes up the five points defined by Le Corbusier in 1927 for modern architecture: no living space on the ground floor, a flat roof, a free plan, entablature windows and a free facade. The use of formworked concrete recalls the spirit of the 1930s, and the use of the Modulor, a system of harmonious measurements developed by Le Corbusier, ensures the harmony of the façades and interior spaces. The street façade is rigorously simple, while the courtyard façade features fine carpentry work.

The Aujame couple lived in the building from 1957 to 1970 and the architect Pierre Riboulet lived there from 1958 to 2004.

A veritable architectural laboratory, Boulogne-Billancourt saw the emergence of the foundations of modern architecture. The greatest architects of the 20th century – Le Corbusier, Mallet-Stevens, Patout, Perret, etc. – all cut their teeth here. While the legacy of the art of the 3190s has shaped Boulogne-Billancourt’s architectural and urban identity, the town has continued to build high-quality facilities ever since, calling on the greatest names in contemporary architecture.