Showing posts with label architecture in france. Show all posts
Showing posts with label architecture in france. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Garden Design in France


Gardens at Le Château de Gourdon

A very special photograph. The most wondrous gardens perched against the mountainous flank of Le Château de Gourdon. The slightly hazy valley adds to the charm.


Le Château de Gourdon is in proximity of Saint Paul de Vence in the Provence region of France. Le Château de Gourdon is perched on an almost uninhabitable mountain top. The castle's gardens were designed by Le Notre, Louix XIV's gardener who also did Versailles park.



The picture shows the very precise hard work done by the gardeners, resulting in the geometrical shapes of the trees and golf like lawn, and the view of the impressive canyon below the garden. The two gardeners, feeling the heat of the summer season, add a human touch to the picture.

Inside the castle is an impressive collection of early 20th century design with a focos on French furniture designers Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann and Pierre Chareau.





The current owners of Le Château de Gourdon have a great appreciation for good design. They have created a museum inside which displays the work by famous designers including Pierre Chareau, Francis Jourdain, Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann, Jean Dunand, Eileen Gray, Pierre Legrain, Louis Majorelle, Robert Mallet-Stevens, Jean-Francois Leleu, Alfons Mucha, Marcel Breuer, Jean Puiforcat, etc.

Le Château de Gourdon

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Tuesday, January 12, 2010

French Glass House Architecture










Maison de Verre
Barrès-Coquet Architects

If you love the Philip Johnson Glass House or the Mies van der Rohe Farnsworth House, you will certainly appreciate this beautiful minimal piece of modern architecture. La Maison de Verre was created by the French architectural firm Barrès-Coquet for a client in the Rhône region of France. A minimal industrial design approach led the firm towards a very minimal glass house with a steel frame. Special details like the steel bolts add to the visual effect. This beautiful icon of modern architecture is completely surrounded by nature. Poplar trees and a pond create a beautiful relaxing environment. The glass windows create a seamless flow between indoor and outdoor.




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