Villa Le Lac : la “Petite Maison” by Le Corbusier

In the world of architecture, certain buildings etch themselves into our collective memory. Villa Le Lac, one of the most personal and imaginative works of Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, aka Le Corbusier, belongs to this category of exceptional places that continue to inspire architects, designers, and art enthusiasts alike.

A Miniature Architectural Manifesto

The villa, designed on a single level of just 64 square metres with a walled garden of about 300 square meters, maximizes functionality while embodying a refined aesthetic. Built in 1923 on a modest budget for Le Corbusier’s parents, this unassuming house on the shores of Lake Geneva represents a radical and avant-garde vision of modern architecture.

Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016, the house is the result of a functionalist approach combined with meticulous research into ergonomics; both pioneering concepts at the time. These principles led to the creation of a typological standard: the narrow, single-bay house.

This model, soon adopted worldwide, became a prototype for minimalist housing, designed to optimize space whilst delivering maximum comfort. Villa Le Lac embodies visionary ideas that would go on to profoundly influence the twentieth century debate on housing for the masses.

In the Villa Le Lac, Le Corbusier explored three of the principles that would later define his “Five Points of Modern Architecture”: the free plan, the roof garden, and the horizontal window.

The latter, one of the first in architectural history, spans 11 metres, offering an unobstructed panoramic view of Lake Geneva.

Through this innovation, Le Corbusier redefined the relationship between architecture and its environment, dissolving the boundaries between interior and exterior.

The landscape flows through the villa, while the type of glass used for the windows projects shadows – the lake’s ripples – onto the walls, creating a near-hypnotic luminous interaction, further blurring the boundaries between indoor and outdoor.

Another striking visual element is the exterior white wall, which paradoxically isolates the immediate view of the lake whilst integrating it in an unexpected way.

This transforms the landscape into a work of art, while at the same time giving a feeling of intimacy.

A “Machine for Living”

At just 64 square metres, Villa Le Lac might initially appear confined at first glance. Yet every square metre reveals an almost obsessive precision in its architectural artistry.

Each detail reflects a rigorous functional programme, coupled with an exquisite aesthetic, highlighted by Le Corbusier’s signature palette of blue, pink, and white.

“We proceeded contrary to custom: we established the precise plan of the house, functional and tailored exactly to the program, a true little ‘machine for living.’ Then, plan in hand, we sought the terrain that could accommodate it. […] Machine for living: every element is allocated a specific number of square metres. […] In this tiny house, there is an 11-metre-long window, and the reception area offers a 14-metre perspective. Movable partitions and concealed beds allow for the improvised accommodation of visitors.”

Le Corbusier, Complete Works 1910-1929.

A Timeless Source of Inspiration

When a dwelling transcends its functional purpose, it has the power to transform our daily life. This project, like many of Le Corbusier’s creations, perfectly illustrates this concept. Crossing its threshold, one is struck by a profound sense of well-being and – despite the small size of the house – by a sense of space.

As Eric Lapierre mentions in his essay on the Villa “This method of design helps to keep our minds and bodies active… Good architecture is a way of bringing you into a state of awareness… it should create a stronger reality and conjure up signs to keep you awake and question how you live”.

“Suddenly, the wall stops, and the spectacle appears: light, space, this water, and these mountains… That’s it: everything falls into place!”

Le Corbusier – A Little House, 1954

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