PARIS – AROUND MONTSOURIS PARK: THE ARTIST STUDIOS FROM THE 1920s

DESCRIPTION – Paris: Around Montsouris Park: the artist studios from the 1920s

This architecture tour will take us around Montsouris Park (Jean- Charles Adolphe Alphand), in the 14th district of Paris, to see the artists’ studio-houses built by Modern architects during the 1920’s in Paris.

Opened at the end of the 19th century to define a new district and to pacify Montrouge village, where the public revolts were common, Montsouris Park played  the role in the organization of the Haussmannian city. By the 1920’s, artists from Montparnasse moved into this district due to lower rents, larger lots and less restrictive urban rules. Braque had his studio there, as did Ozenfant, who asked his friend Le Corbusier to design his studio-residence. The architect Auguste Perret took advantage of the chance to improve his new theory about reinforced concrete, and André Lurçat constructed his major buildings there.

Montouris Park is one of the largest green spaces in the capital and a place of relaxation for its residents. Residents love to stroll through the graceful English-style gardens, gather by the lake, and wander among the thousands of trees that change with the seasons.

The cobblestone streets around the park once attracted artists: at 53 rue de Reille is the Ozenfant House, built by Le Corbusier in 1923. The Villa Ozenfant is located across from the Montsouris Reservoir, a cathedral of underground water cut into the rock. On Rue Nansouti is André Roulsat’s Guggenbühl mansion. This mansion is a symbol of modern architecture, with its impressive blend of vertical and horizontal lines, lightness and rigor. On the other side of Boulevard Jourdan is the International University City, which attracts students from all over the world and regularly hosts activities for Parisians.