Glass House

The fact that Parisian architects are not afraid of new technologies or materials was already demonstrated in the 19th century by Gustave Eiffel with steel structures and at the beginning of the 20th century by Auguste Perret with reinforced concrete skeletons. The first glass house (fr. La Maison de Verre) in France was built in a Parisian courtyard by Pierre Chareau together with the Dutchman Bernard Bijvoet and locksmith Louis Dalbet. It was the first building of nearly fifty-year-old Pierre Chareau, who was previously known as a designer of avant-garde furniture. Among his long-term clients were also Annie Bernheim and her husband, Doctor Jean Dalsace, who purchased an old house in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés district and wanted to replace it with a new airy residence. The biggest obstacle turned out to be preserving the attic apartment of a tenant who refused to move. Thus, the entire ground floor and upper floor were demolished, but the attic remained standing. Glass facades are supported by a steel structure. Translucent square blocks ensured plenty of intimacy in the interior. The house closes off the entrance courtyard with a bare facade without window openings. On the other hand, the house opens up to a private garden through strip windows, a glazed bay window, and a terrace. The interior offers a modern bourgeois house with elevated rooms and flowing space divided by sliding doors. The house was also to serve as a gynecological office, so the materials used were intended to demonstrate a healthy environment filled with natural light and ensure easy maintenance.