Appartement témoin Perret, Model apartment from French reconstruction period in Le Havre, France.
Appartement témoin Perret is a model apartment from post-war France, designed to show residents what modern housing could offer. Inside, you find flexible room layouts, a compact kitchen, bathroom fixtures, and heating systems that represented a new standard for reconstruction-era homes.
The original version was built in 1947 as a prototype for displaced families, later recreated as part of the UNESCO World Heritage reconstruction project. It represents how France approached rebuilding homes and communities after wartime destruction.
The furnishings by René Gabriel, Marcel Gascoin, and André Beaudoin show how designers approached everyday living in the 1950s. Walking through, you notice how each piece was meant to help people make better use of their small homes.
Plan to climb stairs, as the apartment sits above ground level and access involves some steps. It helps to call ahead or check opening times, since visits are typically by appointment or guided tour only.
The concrete column structure eliminates load-bearing walls, which allowed for large windows and flexible floor plans that could adapt to how residents actually lived. This approach was novel because spaces could be rearranged rather than remaining rigid.
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