Description
Provençal Modernism Facing the Golden Islands
This beautiful hillside villa designed by architect Jean Reitz in 1968 overlooks an exceptional panorama of the Lavandou bay. Its silhouette combines constructive intelligence inspired by vernacular architecture with the graphic purity of lines, foreshadowing postmodern thought.
Built into a south-facing, wooded 1,750 m² hillside, this villa nestled against the slope offers 190 m² of living space.
The main entrance, at an intermediate level, leads to an entrance hall opening onto a patio planted with trees and adorned with a fountain. On one side, it gives access to a living space entirely open to the horizon and the sea, comprising a double-height living room with an organic sculptural fireplace, a dining room connected to a separate kitchen with pantry, and an office area. This volume extends outdoors to a panoramic terrace and is overlooked by a mezzanine space with a bedroom, shower room, and two independent entrances.
On the other side of the entrance hall and central patio lies the night area, featuring three bedrooms, a bathroom, a shower room, and storage spaces. Each bedroom opens directly onto a terrace overlooking the pool below and the sea view.
From the terrace, a staircase leads to the lower terrace with a geometric pool, outdoor shower, and covered terrace. A second staircase descends to the garden.
Convertible attic spaces and a double garage complete the property.
The property enjoys an exceptional location in Le Lavandou, facing the islands of Port-Cros, Levant, and Porquerolles, accessible by boat from the port. The villa is situated in a secure residence near Cavalière beach.
Liberation of Forms
Jean Reitz combines typically Mediterranean vernacular elements with modernist forms, thus inscribing the villa’s architecture in the postmodern philosophy of critical regionalism. This school of thought questions certain principles of modernity, notably the tabula rasa, and instead draws inspiration from the architectural and heritage identity of the location. The building, dispersed into several volumes that follow the slope of the land, is unified by gently sloping roofs of terracotta tiles, whose traditional appearance is dynamized by large oblique cutouts. The use of Borme stone integrates the structure into the built heritage and local history, dialoguing with the white concrete and the affirmed geometry of the overall design.
The architect also pays particular attention to the treatment of circulations and outdoor spaces. The landscaped arrangements, also in Borme stone, contribute to anchoring the building in the site’s topography.
Jean Reitz architecte, croquis, sd, droits réservés
Jean Reitz
Born in Briey in 1929, Jean Reitz trained at the École Régionale d’Architecture de Nancy, in the studios of Paul La Mache and Michel Folliasson, graduating in 1960. He began working with his father, André Reitz, in the 1950s in Briey. They officially partnered in 1958 and co-signed their projects until André’s retirement in 1978. Jean Reitz practiced until 2000.
Notable works include a single-family house for Mr. P. Giry with Georges-Henri Pingusson and André Reitz in 1958, and taking over from G.-H. Pingusson on the school complex project in Briey in 1961. In 1965, he designed the villa Aloha in Fréjus, blending Californian inspiration with landscape treatment.
Infos techniques
Price: €2,960,000
Seller pays fees
Full ownership
Property tax: Not communicated
Connected to public sewer system
House built on a concrete slab foundation with concrete frame
Information on risks to which this property is exposed is available on the Géorisques website: www.georisques.gouv.fr
Energy class: C / Climate class: A
