1960s La Maison du Docteur Gauthier by Jean Prouve in Saint-Die-des-Vosges, northeastern France
A national monument, the 1960s La Maison du Docteur Gauthier by Jean Prouve in Saint-Die-des-Vosges, northeastern France, is up for sale.
This is not only a national monument but also a time capsule of modernism from the original era. So, if you want to step back into the hip world of 1962, then this is the house for you.
As the name suggests, it was built at the request of Doctor Pierre Gauthier, who just so happened to be the husband of Francoise Prouve, the daughter of the famous designer and builder Jean Prouve. It’s handy to have someone like that in the family.
The house was built between 1961 and 1962 using principles developed by the designer since the 1950s, most notably the ‘bearing core’ principle. What’s that you ask? Well, it’s a ‘prefabricated block’ assembled in a factory and installed on a masonry base. It supports ‘two longitudinal metal beams’ that carry a lightweight aluminium roof.
The façades alternate between glass walls with thin metal frames and aluminium panels inserted into metal stiffeners. The result is a structure notable for its ‘lightness and simplicity in design and execution’.
Regardless of the construction, this is a house that’s also a very liveable place in the 21st century despite being a time capsule of the era. As long as you love 1960s modernism, this place is a shrine to it, despite looking quite empty right now.
With that in mind, I have included (with permission) some shots of the house furnished taken a few years ago. The interior spaces were originally fully furnished and equipped with pieces signed by Jean Prouve, which no doubt made them something of a treasure trove for fans of modernist interior design.
If you have the budget, many of Prouve’s iconic designs have been reissued in the modern era, with originals likely to be available at auction, too. Alternatively, any design pieces from the decade would sit well in this gem of a house.
The house sits within a 4,900 sq. metre sloped plot planted with fruit trees, located just outside Saint-Die-des-Vosges. Nancy or Selestat are a 45-minute drive away, and Strasbourg is 1 hour and 15 minutes away.
The interior has around 215 sq metres of living space across two levels, accessed via an outdoor terrace sheltered by a large roof overhang supported by a metal console.
As I said, do check out the furnished pictures at the end to get a better idea of how this works as a family home. It’s always great to see a house empty to see the volumes you are working with. But it’s hard to picture a house fully furnished. Thankfully, the agent offers a glimpse of both.
I think it’s fair to say that originality is a massive selling point. I’m not seeing any upgrades from the original era. This one has been a national monument since 2005, but someone has maintained its authenticity long before that.
The main level houses the living spaces, which are widely open to the south and offer a spectacular panoramic view of the Vosges mountains and the town of Saint-Die-des-Vosges below.
A ‘cosy’ living room is defined by a cast-iron fireplace with refractory brick and a triangular hearth, as well as furniture evoking the work of designer Charlotte Perriand – a built-in bookcase, storage units, and a bench.
Simone Prouve created pure wool rugs for the house, which ‘warm the floors covered in hexagonal tiles’, as well as linen wall hangings.
A reinforced concrete element contains the ‘wet rooms’ at the centre of the space. A kitchen with a serving hatch opens onto the dining room and features a secondary window that allows natural light in. The room has retained its original fittings, such as the L-shaped laminated worktop, sliding-door cabinets, and a wooden dining nook.
On the other side of this central block, a bathroom and a shower room, with walls covered in ‘glass paste’, open onto the sleeping area, which consists of three bedrooms with built-in storage.
The lower level, on the ground floor, includes three bedrooms, a garage, a cellar, a boiler room, and storage spaces. Some rooms are currently used as offices, a workshop, or a music lounge.
The house’s steep plot allows both levels to enjoy direct outdoor access. Note also that the house has a garage and three parking spaces along with all of that land.
I have featured listed houses in the past, and it can sometimes be hard to reconcile the originality with modern-day living. These houses are protected for a reason, and often, there are limitations to what you can do regarding contemporary living.
This one doesn’t feel like that. Yes, the kitchen and bathroom might be of an age, but the open space, the natural light and the flow of this house continue to work half a century on. Great design then, great design now.
It’s a substantial house, both inside and out. If you’re tempted to move to this part of France, the asking price is €890,000, which works out at around £741,000. It’s not exactly cheap, but compared to UK prices and especially in light of its heritage, that’s not bad at all.
Images and details courtesy of Architecture De Collection. For more details and to make an enquiry, please visit the website.
