Maison du lotissement Frugès de type quinconce
MonumentHidden Treasure
Maison du lotissement Frugès de type quinconce, located in Pessac (Gironde), is a modern edifice built in the 19th-20th centuries. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Modern (19th-20th century)
- Location
- Pessac, Gironde, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- Mérimée Reference
- PA33000145
Jewel of the modern movement, the quincunx house of the Cité Frugès embodies the genius of Le Corbusier: pure volumes, garden terraces and vivid colours in the heart of Pessac, from 1925.
History
In the heart of the Bordeaux suburbs, the Cité Frugès in Pessac is one of the most audacious works of twentieth-century architecture. Among the types of house that make up this extraordinary complex, the so-called "quinconce" occupies a special place: set back from its neighbours in a skilfully orchestrated arrangement, it expresses Corbusé's major principles - light, air, greenery, liberating standardisation - with a striking economy of means. Listed as a Historic Monument in 2013, it bears witness to a revolution that is still palpable today. What makes the Quinconce house truly unique is the tension between constraint and freedom that it embodies. Commissioned by sugar industrialist Henri Frugès to house his workers in dignified, modern conditions, these houses were intended to be economical, quick to build and reproducible. Yet Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret slipped in a rare plastic sophistication: facades enlivened by horizontal openings, accessible flat roofs, modular interior plans, and a colour palette - ochre, blue, green - that set each unit apart from the rest of the housing estate. Visiting the quincunx house today is to experience a modernity that is both gentle and sharp. Some of the homes have been restored to their original state, while others have been transformed by their occupants over the decades, creating a fascinating dialogue between the original intention and real life. Visitors immediately appreciate the logic of the free-form layout and the fluidity of the interior spaces, and understand why Le Corbusier saw Pessac as a life-size laboratory for his "Five Points of New Architecture". The district itself invites you to wander around. The quincunx houses, staggered precisely to maximise sunlight and preserve the privacy of each garden, form harmonious blocks that you can stroll around, discovering their subtle variations. The vegetation, now well established, softens the sharp angles of the concrete and recalls the original vision of a garden city resolutely turned towards nature.
Architecture
The quincunx house is an eloquent illustration of the "Five Points of New Architecture" defined by Le Corbusier: stilts freeing up the ground floor, roof terrace, free plan, free facade and entablature window. The term "quincunx" here refers both to the layout of the house - two volumes staggered in relation to each other, creating an L- or T-shaped silhouette depending on the angle from which they are viewed - and to the way it is set out in the development, staggered in relation to the neighbouring houses, to ensure that each home enjoys optimum solar exposure and an unobstructed private garden. The facades, in rendered concrete, are characterised by their deliberate minimalism: wide horizontal openings treated as bands, rejection of all historicist ornamentation, pure volumes articulated by the interplay of shadows and solids. Polychromy plays a fundamental role in the overall composition: Le Corbusier assigned each type of house, and even each façade, a specific hue - warm ochres, muted greens, deep blues - transforming the housing estate into a pictorial composition on an urban scale. Inside, the free-form layout allows spaces to be distributed in a way that is free of structural constraints, with rooms that flow through and are bathed in natural light. The sober, functional living spaces reflect the desire to democratise modern comforts previously reserved for the wealthy classes.
Related Figures
Henri Frugès — industriel bordelais, commanditaire visionnaire de la cité ouvrièreLe Corbusier (Charles-Édouard Jeanneret) — architecte, concepteur principal de la Cité FrugèsPierre Jeanneret — architecte, cousin et collaborateur de Le Corbusier sur le projetPhilippe Boudon — chercheur, auteur de l'étude séminale Pessac de Le Corbusier (1969)Amédée Ozenfant — ami et complice intellectuel de Le Corbusier, cofondateur du purisme qui inspire l'esthétique de Pessac
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Maison du lotissement Frugès de type quinconce located?
Maison du lotissement Frugès de type quinconce is located in Pessac, Gironde department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, France.
When was Maison du lotissement Frugès de type quinconce built?
Maison du lotissement Frugès de type quinconce dates back to a period built in the modern era (19th-20th century).
Is Maison du lotissement Frugès de type quinconce open to visitors?
Maison du lotissement Frugès de type quinconce is currently closed to visitors.