23/06/2025
VILLA ADA HEILIGENBERG
1984-86. Alsace.
Private commission
The client wanted his house to be named Ada like his wife on that holy mountain (Heiligenberg). I should have been suspicious… The beautiful view was oriented to the ruins of the féodal castle Guirbaden detached from the elegant curves of the Vogesian mountains. Where I am actually, just underneath and 40 years later building a school and a bibliothèque on a slope site too with the same major architectural choice. Not being parallel to the slope like Neutra major villa’s but perpendicular ! The South structure over the void is organised by a East lign of round wooden high columns like the Pinus trees all around, held by a strong GLT beam on West side supported by à powerful concrete and stone blocs pillar that perfore the living room becoming a fire cheminee and finally a paratonnerre over the rooftop. I remember at the same time starting with Xaveer de Geyter and Rem Koolhaas the sketches for the villa dall’ Ava in Saint Cloud for Dominique Boudet… There is no architectural project without structural project. On North a compact massive stone block for the entrance and garage anchor the fragile house in the top of the hill like a bridge abutment. The building is floating on the slope over the dense forest of tenenbaums. On the roof top to the heights of the tall pines the sun deck duplicate the curve of the Curzio Malaparte villa of Adalbberto Libera where Brigitte Bardot offer his body to the Capri sun. And this beautiful arrogance was in fully junction with the owner’s character. Probably too mutch. Finally the client, a crook went to jail for a moment, and did not pay me, in response I didn’t draw his prison either … Bastard !
But I used later a drawing (red) for a conference in Kyoto and for my personal exhibition in Paris IFA ( Institut Français d’Architecture) in 1996… Andrée Putman told me at the opening that she came because of the fascination the image on her desk held on her. I like that …