E-1027 – Eileen Gray
The site is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is considered as one of the must-see places to discover in the region, welcoming more than 10,000 visitors a year.
E-1027 was built between 1926 and 1929 by Eileen Gray and her companion, architect Jean Badovici. The name of the villa is derived from their initials: “E” for Eileen, “10” representing the letter J for Jean, “2” representing the letter B for Badovici, and “7” representing the letter G from Gray. The architect built her private residence as a peaceful retreat on a cliff in the French Riviera for her and her lover, creating a fully-customized interior design, fit-outs, and furniture. The structure’s architecture employs Le Corbusier’s points of architecture, such as the concrete pilotis, open floor plans, a roof garden, and horizontal strip windows.
Although the villa was designed by Gray, the credit was always given to Badovici up until 1967. The project was known as Le Corbusier’s “obsession”, as he tried to purchase the property several times but continuously failed. Instead, he bought the property just nearby the villa, and transformed it into the Cabanon de Vacances. In the 1930s, the house was infamously violated by the Swiss architect, who vandalized the pure white planes of the house with eight colorful, highly sexualized murals while staying there as a guest. Soon after, the house was transformed into a target practice during World War II, where German soldiers practiced their aim against its walls.
