Specially organised visit to the Maison de Verre

September 2010 in our Architectural Practice

Reid Brewin Architectes made a recent field trip to visit one of Paris’s hidden architectural gems, the ‘Maison de Verre’or The Glass House by Pierre Chareau. It was constructed in the early 1930’s in the modernist style and is particularly notable for its steel frame structure and façade made of glass blocks. The glass block façade was conceived to allow light into a very gloomy and constricted plot and is illuminated at night to prevent the neighbours from having a clear view into the house’s interior. The house was handcrafted by metalworker Louis Dalbert and every detail has been carefully considered by the designers to respond to the precise requirements of the client, a doctor and his wife. The open plan living areas contain sliding walls and concealed doors as part of the paneled walls to allow the user to manipulate the space. The high level of design involvement and engineering ingenuity evident in the house continues to provide inspiration for architects and students throughout the world.   To visit the Maison de Verre write to “Maison de Verre” 31, rue Saint Guillaume  75007 Paris.