Contemporary architecture in the Alpes-Maritimes
At a time when Jean-Michel Wilmotte is the likely choice to design the Olympic Nice Stadium and today’s hallowed bioclimatic buildings borrow his construction criteria, contemporary architecture looks more than ever to be a sound option for the future. In Cannes, Valbonne and the capital of the Riviera, professionals discuss their experience in the field...
“Architecture is a precise, expert and magnificent play on volumes and light,” wrote the very visionary Le Corbusier in 1923, going on to explain that “the materials for urban planning are the sun, trees, the sky, steel, cement, in that hierarchical order and inseparably”. From this point of view, the Côte d’Azur, a sublime succession of amphitheatres backed by the Alps and turned towards the Mediterranean, lends itself wonderfully to interpretations of contemporary architecture. It offers elevated positions and breathtaking views : buildings need do nothing more than yield to the sovereignty of nature. “In recent years, the public’s vision has widened significantly, helped in the process by interior decor magazines, evolution in the design of public buildings and even hotels,” comments Renaud Espitalier of Marly Privilège. In the case of living accommodation, buyers increasingly adopt an approach which is not only functional but also qualitative, devoting an ever higher portion of their budget to their homes. Today, even historic neighbourhoods make room for so-called contemporary buildings. As exemplified by the project for the Bonnard museum in Le Cannet. Featuring large windows, simple geometric shapes and the use of natural materials (wood, stone and glass), this style allowing for implementation of energy performance techniques also attracts fans among specialists in bioclimatic construction. “More than a niche, the contemporary home is a fully fledged market, a trend that has already lasted five decades,” asserts this estate-agent based in Cannes. Just 15 years ago, only a few discerning clients with a clearly-defined profile showed any interest in the movement. Nowadays, everyone is likely to pay attention to it, regardless of their social or cultural backgrounds. Its codes have become customary and even treat themselves to the luxury of dictating fashions, especially in terms of colour. Some buyers, of course, including the Russians, still resist the trend. Contemporary architecture does not have any real effect on a property’s price and can have as many pitfalls as any other style. Houses built in the 1950’s and 1960’s are easily adaptable to modern-style renovation, though the “neo-Provençal villa”, which does not have the same relationship with its surroundings, is not at all suited to it. An uncluttered base and well-balanced volumes are needed. The approach must be “all-round”, from the building itself to landscaping of the gardens, not forgetting interior decor and the choice of the furniture. The success of the contemporary style extends to both individual houses and apartment buildings. As an example, Renaud Espitalier cites the recent sale of an apartment of 230 m2 in a 1970’s residence in Le Cannet, facing the Mediterranean and prolonged by a terrace of 70 m2, for 2.1 million euros. The Villa Le C, co-marketed by Marly Privilège, should radically change the face of the famous Avenue du Roi Albert in Cannes, marking the beginning of a new architectural era. Richard Guilhem, responsible for this development, has just signed his name to a luxury building which reflects the same spirit on Boulevard Gazagnaire, the appropriately named “Palm Building”.
“The contemporary style is, without doubt, the flagship product in the eastern part of the Alpes-Maritimes, in Mont-Boron, Villefranche-sur-Mer, Beaulieu and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. If it willingly shares the limelight with “Belle Epoque” architecture, it is finally tolling the bell for the Provençal style and, at the same time, an aging “traditional French” look,” says Monika Cyrul of Nice Properties, soon to have five agencies throughout the region. All new developments subscribe to the modern movement, especially as Les Architectes des Bâtiments de France are favourably inclined towards it, and construction costs are significantly lower. Appreciable savings in the face of building land, which is worth its weight in gold. Moreover, developers, particularly careful about their profit margins, do not hesitate to opt for simple shapes, cubic and unfussy, as well as for generous windows. Nevertheless, there’s no question of skimping on location and exposure to the sun. The contemporary style is nothing without sunlight and a magnified view. A villa of 190 m2 on the hills above Eze, sold for 3.2 million euros, is an excellent example. The materials used and the decorative features then justify the price. This type of property works on the basis of “love at first sight” : it is easy to present and sell, and not solely to a young, urban clientele. It in fact leaves an estate-agent’s files at a below average rate. “Today’s very fashionable “home staging” follows the trend, removing all eye-sores from visitors’ view,” laughs our specialist.
Based at the heart of Sophia-Antipolis, Christian-Alexander Rosengart of Rosengart Luxury Real Estate offers top-notch examples in the field : 350 m2 in grounds of 2,000 m2 on the hills of Valbonne, priced at 3.6 million euros, or 250 m2 in grounds of 2,500 m2 over towards Castellaras at the edge of Redon, for 5.5 million euros. In search of space and light, the client is a collector, focusing on esthetics. And it’s not a coincidence that the agency shares its customer file with the Rosengart Foundation for Contemporary Art, located in Lucerne. 20 % of enquiries, mostly of Belgian or Scandinavian origin, are oriented towards this type of architecture. They face a shortage of goods, as the back-country only got in on the act less than ten years ago. However, whether it is down on the coast or in a country setting, the contemporary style harmonizes perfectly with surrounding nature. Among the buyers, few are purists. Many accept the so-called “Californian style” property as being part of the category, with its flat roof and main living-room on the upper floor.
By Laetitia Rossi
