This restoration has been led by Centre des Monuments Nationaux. Since 2012, Villa Cavrois has benefited from the global program "Iconic Houses" working for the preservation of emblematic houses of the twentieth century.
des racines et des ailes France 3 Villa Cavrois
Lighting fixtures, clocks and barometers have been specifically manufactured by RAL for Villa Cavrois. Reaching the final result has first required an accurate study of lighting in Europe in the 30s, then an investigation to discover the manufacturing technique and to find out what kind of materials were used during the building.
Creating such objects involves a full analysis of the technical and stylistic context of architectural history. In 1929, Robert Mallet Stevens, founded the UAM (Union of Modern Artists). During the building, he was in contact with many vanguard crafstmen, thinkers and architects. : Francis Jourdain, Andre Lurcat, René Herbst, G. Guévrékian, Ch Moreux, Walter Gropius, Theo Van Doesburg ....each one of those "moderns" had a theory upon rational lighting.
"Being closer to their theories to fit to the aesthetics and to the criteria of Modernist mind. "
Lighting theorists such as Jean Dourgnon and Andrew Solomon, also members of the UAM, closely worked with Robert Mallet Stevens. Through reading and analysis of archival documents, I found out that lighting was of capital topic for Villa Cavrois : every item designed by Mallet Stevens and his team (lighting, clocks, furniture, polychrome ...) respects UAM’s guideline.
Original features have entirely disappeared : I had to study each item it in its historical context.
To understand the lighting needs, one has to live in this house at different times of the day. Climate is also a factor. Lighting fixtures and the paintings were chosen for these external elements : these three parameters are indivisible. André Salomon, chief lighting-designer for Robert Mallet Stevens was a master !
es racines et des ailes France 3 Villa Cavrois
"Tigralite" (young-man 1’s room) : a ceiling designed by Jean and André Salomon Dournion in 1929. A "flagship" lighting fixture of the building
Manufacturing the clocks and the barometers for the Villa
Extremely delicate task that requires great precision to fit figures together.
Manufacturing the clocks and the barometers for the Villa Cavrois : Extremely delicate task that requires great precision to fit figures together
des racines et des ailes France 3 Villa Cavrois
The 86 globes installed in Villa Cavrois have been designed and manufactured to get closer at the best point to those used in 1932.That lighting globe was a sign of modernity.
Some illuminative notes :
lighting devices : opalescent globes set up at Villa Cavrois in 1932
Principales pièces d’utilisation : Le vestibule, la salle à manger des enfants, la cuisine, l’office, la cuisine chambre du jeune-homme 1, l’escalier, chambre de jeune fille, chambre de la gouvernante, le sous-sol.
Devices for semi-direct lighting :
opaline glass diffusers or
opal-glass spherical globe.
These devices completely enclose the lamps to spread the luminous flux emitted over a larger area, so as to decrease the brightness of the luminous focus.