Description
Modernist lines in the heart of the Basque Country
Designed in 1954 by the architect André Pavlovsky, a key figure in Basque modernism, this villa offers an unspoilt living environment in a typical Basque village, just 20 minutes from the coast.
Set in a 2,139 sqm plot, the villa spans 347 sqm over three levels.
The garden level houses the reception rooms, arranged in a row and opening onto the stone terrace and garden, comprising a double lounge-dining room of around 70 sqm and a Leicht fitted kitchen with cathedral ceiling and La Cornue piano. An elegant full-height glass roof closes off the kitchen while letting in plenty of light.
The ground floor comprises a large office area with independent access that could accommodate a professional, two bedrooms (each with its own dressing room and shower room or bathroom), a shower room and a utility room.
The first floor, with its turret, houses the master suite.
A 60 sqm outbuilding in the landscaped garden completes the property, which also enjoys a pleasant 20×4 metre saltwater swimming pool.
The villa has recently been renovated. It now offers a minimalist décor and contemporary living comfort, featuring top-of-the-range fittings and a palette of noble materials.
The Villa Ttirritta enjoys a preserved setting in a pleasant residential area where everything is within walking distance, in the heart of the authentic Basque village of Hasparren.
The A6 motorway links Biarritz in 25 minutes and Hossegor in 40 minutes. Charming neighbouring villages such as Cambo-Les-Bains and La Bastide-Clairence are less than 10 minutes away. Pau, San Sebastian and Biarritz airports are within easy reach (30 to 60 minutes by car).
The property is located within the immediate perimeter of a listed historical monument.
A work of maturity
The Villa Ttirritta was commissioned from André Pavlovksy in 1954 by a certain Mr Billy.
With its white rendered walls pierced by Roman arches, its openness to the landscape, its turret, its lozenge-shaped oculi – the architect’s signature – and its strong anchorage in the grounds, this building is part of the late period of his career. After the Second World War, changes in commissions and in the clientele led Pavlovsky away from the experimentation of his early years, and towards a search for plastic serenity and purity.
Although he was hardly influenced by the International Style or Art Deco, André Pavlovsky developed a resolutely modern style based on the assimilation of traditional local forms and a quest for decorative restraint, far removed from picturesque regionalism. In particular, he drew on the Mediterranean-inspired American architecture of the West Coast, which nurtured his aspiration to create atmospheres imbued with simplicity.
André Pavlovsky: a figure of Basque modernism
André Pavlovsky (1891-1961) studied architecture at the Beaux-Arts in Paris from 1911, graduating in 1920.
His first projects were in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region, where he was involved in rebuilding local buildings. The turning point in his career came when he moved to Saint-Jean-de-Luz in 1924. Most of his work focused on the villa programme. Gradually, his modernist convictions asserted themselves, but without ever wiping the slate clean of the past: André Pavlovsky drew on traditional neo-Basque vocabulary, while at the same time formulating a synthesis all his own. The architect benefited from a favourable economic climate for the development of luxurious villas.
In 1925, the Basque coast was a popular holiday destination for the social elite. A wealthy local and foreign clientele flocked to the area, sometimes giving André Pavlovsky carte blanche to design their personal residences. One example is the famous Tao Baita villa (1926), which combines Basque cultural tradition, with the use of the colour red, and a modern twist, in the asymmetrical shape of the roof.
Technical info
Asking price: €1,679,600
Fees payable by the purchaser
Fees: 4% i.e. €64,600.
Price excluding fees: €1,615,000
Land tax: €1,348
Charges: €200/month
Full ownership
Swimming pool: heated by heat pump
Heating: Wood, electric, gas
Double-flow ventilation
Wooden double-glazed window frames
Collective sanitation
ENERGY CLASS: C / CLIMATE CLASS: C
Estimated average annual energy costs for standard use, based on 2021 energy prices: between €1,970 and €2,720.