Immeuble Porte Molitor - Rue Nungesser & Coli

Year: 1931 / Place: Paris, France

 

Porte Molitor building
 
Although commission from the developer was confirmed in a letter dated from the month of June, 1931, Le Corbusier seems to have taken an interest in the site much earlier. It is true that this new district in the periphery of Paris presented quite exceptional advantages: bordering on the Bois de Boulogne, it could also benefit from the fact that it was close to all kinds of sports facilities (Roland-Garros, Jean-Bouin, Parc des Princes stadiums, Molitor swimming pool), allowing one to take part in or attend events in tennis, swimming, athletics, cycling, horse racing, etc. The housing block was also ideally situated: excellent east-west orientation, ample depth, good servicing, on the border zone between Boulogne and Paris (the plot belonging to Boulogne, rue de la Tourelle, with one side bordering Paris, rue Nungesser-et-Coli), and above all no opposite building on the Paris side, all houses directly looking out over sports grounds which would be perpetuated by a 99 year lease. This block had been divided into plots of about 300-400sqm, allowing the laying out of large flats opening onto both sides, or of smaller units positioned on one side only. Sun, space, greenery: the plots possessed every quality Le Corbusier could wish for in a "Ville radieuse". Indeed he had been working for some years on the theoretical plan at the urban scale and on prototypes of apartment buildings at the architectural scale.

FLC 13351 Exterior perspective view of Rue Nungesser et Coli with annotation

FLC 13352 Series of four sketches of apartment in interior perspective

FLC 13413 "Longitudinal section through Le Corbusier apartment with dimensions and captions, calculations, figure, annotations / Note ""7 juillet 32 "" (""7 July 32"") ""complet 7 Aot 32"" (""completed 7 August 32"")"

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