Propriété dite La Saulot
MonumentHidden Treasure
Propriété dite La Saulot, located in Salbris (Loir-et-Cher), 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
- Salbris, Loir-et-Cher, Centre-Val de Loire
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 47.4495, 2.0060
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00098589
A discreet masterpiece by the Perret brothers in the heart of the Sologne, La Saulot blends Anglo-Norman architecture with modernist audacity: concrete, embossed copper and enamelled stoneware in an exceptional holiday villa.
© Wikimedia Commons / Wikipedia
History
Nestling in the wooded and lakeside landscapes of the Sologne region, in Salbris, the property known as La Saulot is one of the most unusual and little-known creations of the Perret brothers, the architects who were to revolutionise the use of reinforced concrete in France during the 20th century. Far from the major urban projects that would forge their reputation, it was here in 1908 that they delivered a holiday villa of rare coherence, designed from the roof to the bathroom tiles in a spirit of artistic totality. What makes La Saulot truly unique is the creative tension that animates each of its spaces: the dialogue between tradition and modernity is permanent, never resolved, always fertile. The timber-framed structure is reminiscent of Victorian England, the slate roofs anchor the building in the Loire region, while the concrete structures, daring for their time, appear here and there, announcing an architectural language that Perret had not yet fully developed. The ensemble forms a villa-farm, a rare concept that combines bourgeois pleasure grounds and agricultural outbuildings under a single aesthetic vision. The visit is above all an interior experience. The decor designed by the Perret brothers reveals a late Art Nouveau sensibility: the main staircase with its vegetal volutes, the large dining room dominated by a spectacular fireplace with iron hood and copper veneer embossed with woodland motifs, the first-floor bathroom with its enamelled stoneware pool - all spaces that bear witness to a pivotal period when the decorative arts were still seeking their way outside the classical canon. The Solognot setting enhances the charm of the property. The ponds, the forests and the special light of this secret region form a natural setting that perfectly reflects the spirit of cultivated refuge that the patrons wanted. La Saulot is not a château to be admired from afar: it is a residence to be read closely, to be deciphered layer by layer, to understand how two architects of genius began to reinvent the inhabited world.
Architecture
La Saulot is part of the Anglo-Norman architectural movement, which was very popular for holiday homes in France in the early 20th century. The building's picturesque composition is based on asymmetrical volumes, a variety of steeply pitched slate roofs and the use of timber framing to punctuate the façades, alternating with brick. This vocabulary, borrowed from Edwardian England, gives the building a warm, domestic character, far removed from the monumentality of classical châteaux. But it is in the detail of the structures and decorations that the Perret spirit is fully revealed. Reinforced concrete, a material still perceived as industrial and not very noble, is discreetly integrated into certain parts of the building, heralding the radical choices the architect would adopt in his mature works. Inside, the large dining room is the centrepiece: a monumental fireplace combines a brick hearth, a wrought-iron hood and a panelled mantle decorated with a sober geometric design. Between these two elements, an embossed copper veneer displays woodland motifs - foliage, branches - in perfect harmony with the surrounding Sologne landscape. The main staircase, with its 1900s-inspired ironwork featuring plant motifs, confirms the project's Art Nouveau roots. Finally, the bathroom on the first floor, with its enamelled stoneware swimming pool, is a remarkable amenity for its time, revealing the modern sanitary ambitions of those who commissioned it.
Related Figures
Auguste Perret (1874-1954) — architecte, codirecteur du projet, futur maître du béton armé et reconstructeur du HavreGustave Perret (1876-1952) — architecte, frère et associé d'Auguste PerretClaude Perret (1880-1960) — troisième frère, associé à l'agence familiale lors de la conceptionMarie-Joseph Perret — père et entrepreneur en bâtiment, transmetteur du savoir-faire constructif à ses fils
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Propriété dite La Saulot located?
Propriété dite La Saulot is located in Salbris, Loir-et-Cher department, Centre-Val de Loire region, France.
When was Propriété dite La Saulot built?
Propriété dite La Saulot dates back to a period built in the modern era (19th-20th century).
Is Propriété dite La Saulot open to visitors?
Propriété dite La Saulot is currently closed to visitors.