The trend for contemporary properties in Cannes
From a simple niche at the turn of this century to a market in its own right, the contemporary trend is apparently dethroning the legendary Provençal style among discerning buyers. Focus on a movement which has become a way of life, whether in Brussels, London, Dubai or Cannes.
Inseparable from that of the Lérins Islands, the history of this village of fishermen and monks began in the Middle Ages. The saga took a new turn in the 19th century with the arrival of Lord Henry Brougham, Chancellor of England, and other aristocrats from the Old World. Rudimentary beach shacks were replaced by very classic winter lodgings which then disappeared to make way for lavish “Belle Epoque” mansions. The boom continued in the 20th century : the Film Festival brought the third largest city in the Alpes-Maritimes unparalleled media coverage. Visitors then flocked to Cannes for its congresses, luxury boutiques and palatial hotels. They loved the typical stone and warmth of the Provençal style, symbolic of the South of France. After decades without any competition, its popularity began to wane and clean, streamlined design, initially reviled, began to draw a growing number of fans. Everyone now acclaims the contemporary style, yet no-one has succeeded in defining it. Functional, empty, cold... Adjectives are rife, but contradictory. Meanwhile, from cars to homes, nothing seems to resist the trend.
“Urban and international, the trend only started in the town of Cannes five or six years ago. The few clients who were interested had two options : transforming existing houses - a venture which was feasible with a base dating back to 1950-1970 - or building from scratch, with the risk, once they finally found a building plot, of the permit being refused,” recalls Renaud Espitalier of Marly Privilège. Pure, stark architecture could be counted on the fingers of one hand. Conversely, in the field of interior decor, people were beginning to comply. The style, not to be confused with a passing fad, does not tolerate any half-measures. It demands large open spaces, many different perspectives, various levels of interpretation, and an impeccable finish. While it’s hard to define the typical profile of fans of the trend, some common points are detectable. Scandinavians like airy lines and interiors with lots of light, though they rarely abandon their beloved wood. Clients from the Middle East accept evolution - as witnessed by Dubai - but will not trade details or noble materials for concrete. Russians tend to hold out : they adapt the concept, reinterpreting Art Deco, appreciating elements in lacquer, delicate marquetry and ostentatious luxury. The Belgians and Dutch are probably the most avant-garde, demonstrating genuine familiarity with open settings bathed in light. The contemporary style pops up everywhere, irrespective of neighbourhoods, and is more expensive for equivalent surface areas and surroundings, due to the technical factors required to achieve a perfect balance between what is solid and what is empty. Not forgetting home automation, the latest fashion in these very special homes, nor gardens, which have to equate with the architecture. Renaud Espitalier will soon be marketing a property designed by the Cabinet Guilhem, situated on Avenue du Roi Albert, in place and stead of an old “bastide”. On its files, the agency also has an apartment of 200 m2, on the top floor of a residence with swimming pool in Le Cannet, priced at 2.5 M €, and a duplex of 160 m2 opening out to a roof and terraces of 80 m2 in La Californie, at 4 M €.
“Town-planning regulations do not allow for unbridled imagination : the town of Cannes has a past, as evidenced by its many architectural movements, and one cannot distort the landscape or disrupt its harmony,” says Michel Magrey of Magrey & Sons. “If the authorities tolerate flat roofs, Le Cannet qualifies for different treatment : the Pierre Bonnard sector is protected and consideration of applications takes more than six months.” The evolution of the contemporary style is closely linked to the layout of the site and constraints imposed by the town of Cannes. “Take the example of a standard plot of about 2,500-3,000 m2. The COS (floor area ratio) ranges from 5 to 8 % allowing for a house of 150-200 m2 following demolition of a Provençal villa of 300-400 m2. Under those conditions, it is preferable to make over the first building. Its adaptation then proceeds gradually, going through several hybrid stages.” 80 % of buyers of contemporary properties, foreign in most cases, intend to use them as holiday homes. The lowest price for a turnkey property facing the Med is 5 M €. Living space of 250 m2, just before Super-Cannes, costs around 4.5 M €, 550 m2 in grounds of 7,000 m2 at La Croix des Gardes, plus a divisible plot with building permit granted for a second villa of 600 m2, attains 9 M €. This same price was recently asked for a property of 480 m2, facing south-west to the sea, at the heart of La Californie.
Over the past two years, estate agents have been able to witness the first sales in this category and thus observe the extent of people’s enthusiasm. Régis Ramette of the John Taylor agency refuses to discuss the contemporary “market”, as supply is very limited and available land almost nonexistent. “Of the considerable number of properties on our files, 20 % are immediately functional, all styles combined, and less than 5 % more or less meet the criteria of “contemporary”.” Making a distinction between true holders of the label and modernized neo-Provençal villas, he cites a unique creation of 1,000 m2 at La Croix des Gardes, sold last year for over 20 million euros, “Le Pavillon” on the Corniche du Paradis Terrestre, “undoubtedly the finest example”, or the work of José Tauzia on the hills, which could, once finished, take its place at the top of the list. Here in Cannes, internationally renowned architects have not yet had the chance to deploy the full measure of their talent. There is, however, steady demand, clients are well-informed, with precise requirements, often artists or intellectuals. The preference is explained by the fact that buyers are getting younger, 40 year-olds often subscribing to magazines which give the contemporary style star treatment. When they unearth the home of their dreams, they don’t hesitate to pay the price. Even though price-grids compete with those of palatial properties such as the “Florentin”, “Oriental”, “Bagatelle” and “La Tropicale”. As for fans of apartments, they can always head for Port Canto and the “Palme Building”, twelve apartments in a glass residence based on no visible structure, three-quarters of which have already been sold at prices between 15,000 and 30,000 €/m2.
By Laetitia Rossi
