La Maison de Verre

A stunning combination of personal reminiscence and spectacular photographs of this influential modernist masterpiece.

The most celebrated work of French architect and designer Pierre Chareau, the Maison de Verre is revered by experts, acclaimed as an inspiration by many, but until now only glimpsed by a very few.

In 1928, Chareau was commissioned to build this private residence in an eighteenth-century Paris courtyard. Dominique Vellay, the granddaughter of his original client, tells here for the first time the story of this extraordinarily inventive house, an embodiment of modern building principles and methods. Its metal framework, glass-brick curtain walls, and sliding partitions and panels have made a remarkable impression on architects and designers worldwide.

François Halard's photographs pay homage to the house and its unique architectural features: the interior, bathed in daylight gently diffused by the glass walls; perforated zinc screens that rotate or slide silently on curved rails; exposed steel beams; balconies with paneled bookshelves; open-stepped staircases that permit light to penetrate; and—not least—the house's furniture, created by the architect for his clients, and covered with fabrics by eminent contemporary artists and designers. 80+ illustrations in color and duotone.