The Molitor building was designed and built between 1931 and 1934 by Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret. Le Corbusier installed his apartment-studio on the top two floors, and he lived there until his death in 1965. The flats on the lower floors were sold with interior layouts freely chosen by the purchasers, thanks to the innovative free plan developed by Le Corbusier. Here, the flat had three main rooms: a bedroom and a living room on the street side, an office on the courtyard side, and a kitchen and bathroom. But this original layout was completely removed in the 1970s.
In 2024, the new owner wanted to restore the atmosphere and qualities of Le Corbusier’s work. Historical research in the archives, and ‘archeological’ investigations in the apartment gave the guidelines of the new design. These studies revealed traces of the 1930s layout created by Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret, and it makes the flat an important historical testimony of this heritage building.
Starting from our discoveries and a close analysis of the building, the project highlights the heritage elements while playing with modern and contemporary references. The new interior is conceived as a dialogue of several distinct objects, whose shapes, colours and materials give a historical and poetic echo to the existing building.
Photo by Mary Gaudin
