Best House In Paris

Maison de Verre is probably one of the best examples of a modern house of the 20th-century. The house, located in France and designed by Pierre Chareau, has always been a mystery place due to the house’s inaccessibility. The only access is from the inside courtyard, and for decades, it was seen only by a small group of people and by patients of a gynecologist whose offices took up the first floor.

The Maison de Verre has been described as ‘an elaborate piece of furniture’ or a glowing translucent box instead of an actual house. In the late 1920’s, Dr. Dalsace and his wife bought the site, which was an existing 18th Century hotel, but the owner of the top floor was not willing to sell her property. The construction was finalized in 1932.

Robert Rubin, an American collector, purchased the house from Dr. Dalsace’s family back in 2006 at an undisclosed price. Then he carefully renovated the house with the help of architectural historians and graduate students.

“The house has been compared to a Surrealist artwork, a theater stage. That effect is animated by the play of light. During the day the facade has a strange milky glow; at night floodlights illuminate the wall from the outdoors, so that it glows like a lantern, bathing the salon in amber light. A single-story dining room and a smaller salon are set just off this central space, so that you are always conscious of its dramatic scale.” - New York Times

The New York Times has a slideshow of pictures, which you can access by clicking here.