Description
The famous “Caretaker’s House” designed by Claude Parent for André Bloc is for sale
EXCLUSIVE – This villa was designed by Claude Parent in 1956 for his friend André Bloc, who wanted to build a caretaker’s house on his Meudon property. Typical of 1950s architecture, the building was eventually used as a studio by the famous sculptor, painter and architect. The artistic and historical value of the site led to it being classified as a Historic Monument in 1983 by Jack Lang.
Set in the heart of a 2200 m² garden planted with trees, the house offers 147 m² of living space spread over two levels, backed onto the street by a blind wall to give the property a feeling of privacy.
The ground floor, accessible from the garden, comprises a living room and a sitting room that communicate with each other, punctuated by a long, rounded glass wall and extended by a terrace overlooking the countryside. A kitchen, adjoining utility room and garage complete this level.
Upstairs is the sleeping area, comprising a shower room, a bathroom and 3 bedrooms. One of the bedrooms has a terrace overlooking the garden.
The house has stood the test of time, retaining most of its original features, such as the stained-glass window by André Bloc (1956) and the sculptural portal by Claude Parent.
Three sculptures by André Bloc adorn the garden, planted with century-old trees, which also boasts a swimming pool.
Some renovation work is required.
In absolute peace and quiet, this house benefits from an exceptional setting that is protected as a Historical Monument. It is located on the plot adjoining the “Villa André Bloc” and its famous sculpture park.
It is located in a quiet residential area behind the Parc de Meudon, with schools and local shops nearby. From the house, it takes just five minutes by car to reach the Porte de Paris, and twenty to reach the centre. Ten minutes from the house, the Bellevue train station links Paris in 13 minutes (Montparnasse station).
Mid-century architecture and arts integration
A home rooted in the style and spirit of the 1950s, the Caretaker’s House consists of two superimposed stone and concrete cubes, whose strict lines are softened on the ground floor by the curvature of a long glass wall designed to illuminate the sculptor’s studio.
In its initial state, the house was designed on a single raised level, partially on stilts, freeing up a vast sheltered space on the garden level. This was later closed off by André Bloc, who wanted to set up his studio here. This curved space is bathed in warm, coloured light from the large stained-glass window designed and integrated by Bloc as an architectural element of the house.
On the upper floor, Claude Parent created two bedrooms opening onto the park, and a large glazed living room (now used as a third bedroom) opening onto a terrace extended by the garage roof.
Through its design, materials (concrete, stone, glass, metal) and choice of colours, the house develops a play of plastic correspondences with André Bloc’s neighbouring house (built in 1951 by the artist, with other architects). The Maison de Gardien has been built below ground level, so as to preserve the autonomy and privacy of the two buildings (no facing building).
The Maison de Gardien in Meudon is the first of three projects resulting from the long and fruitful collaboration between Claude Parent and André Bloc.
André Bloc in Meudon: an open-air avant-garde laboratory
Painter, sculptor, engineer, architect and magazine publisher André Bloc (1896-1966) was an atypical and influential figure in post-war France. Trained as an engineer, he quickly turned his attention to modern architecture, working alongside leading figures such as Auguste Perret and Le Corbusier. Through the magazines he founded and edited, L’Architecture d’aujourd’hui and Art d’Aujourd’hui, Bloc campaigned for a renewal of the relationship between art and architecture: in 1951, he founded the “Espace group”, which defended a new synthesis of the arts, against the austerity of functionalist straitjackets.
Bloc’s cross-disciplinary practice is defined as an ongoing experimentation with styles, techniques, materials and supports, always in search of a new spatiality. With the young architect Claude Parent, he completed several projects, including his own house in Antibes in 1959.
His property in Meudon became a manifesto for his synthesis of the arts: he designed the architecture, the interior polychromy, the furniture and the architectural works in the garden. In particular, he created “Sculptures habitacles” in the form of pavilions, where architecture and sculpture intertwine in complex organic interweavings.
Claude Parent © Archives Parent
Claude Parent, plan, 1955 © Archives Centre Pompidou, MNAM-Cci
Claude Parent: an extraordinary figure in modern architecture
French architect, theorist and draughtsman Claude Parent (1923-2016) was one of the first of his generation to challenge the principles of modernism from the 1950s onwards, through his writings, speeches, drawings and built works. Profoundly guided by the link between art and architecture, Parent the builder challenged the codes and traditional understanding of modern space by shifting lines and ’tilting’ volumes
After studying at the Beaux-Arts in Toulouse (1942) and Paris in 1946, he worked with Ionel Schein until 1955, and took part in the Espace group with the artist André Bloc, before meeting Paul Virilio, with whom he founded the Architecture Principe group (1963- 1968) and embarked on the adventure of the oblique function. In the 1970s, he worked with EDF on the landscape integration of nuclear power stations.
Technical info
Price on request
Fees payable by the vendor
Full ownership
Property tax : NC
ENERGY CLASS: F / CLIMATE CLASS: E
Estimated average annual energy costs for standard use, based on 2021 energy prices: between €2,950 and €4,050.
