Villa Lopez “Ombres bleues”, 1953

In 1951, following a visit to the Villa Dollander in Saint-Clair (Var), architect Raymond Lopez—impressed by this architecture based on the axial portal frame principle—which had originally been developed for housing disaster victims in Lorraine—commissioned Jean Prouvé to design a similar villa for his personal use in Guerrevieille, near Saint-Tropez.

The project draws on the Saint-Clair model while incorporating several improvements. Correspondence between Jean Prouvé and the client—who, at that time, were working closely together on the Fédération nationale du bâtiment project—reflects these modifications, described as “subtle adjustments.”

The building is distinguished in particular by the presence of a compass-shaped portal frame, by the use of aluminum panels in the bedrooms with portholes arranged in a staggered pattern, and by the use of Rousseau panels for the roof.

More closely tailored to the client’s needs and uses, these adaptations make the Lopez Villa a prototype in its own right.