Villa Tempe a paia, Modern architecture villa in Menton, France.
Villa Tempe a Paia is a three-level modern house in Menton featuring a living room, dining area, two bedrooms, and a terrace with views. The building incorporates mechanical ceiling devices for light control and uses repurposed water tanks as storage spaces.
Architect Eileen Gray designed this house in 1934, following her earlier project Villa E-1027. These two creations established her reputation as a pioneer of modernist design on the French Riviera.
The name Tempe a Paia draws from local linguistic traditions, referring to harvest season in the French language or a term in regional dialect. The house reflects how modernist design was woven into the everyday life of the Côte d'Azur during the early 20th century.
The house sits along Route de Castellar 187 in an area surrounded by lemon groves and overlooking the sea. Finding it requires some navigation through the rural surroundings, but the location offers quiet seclusion.
The building was constructed upon existing stone walls and lemon groves were intentionally incorporated into the design. This approach allowed the house to preserve unobstructed views of the surrounding landscape and sea.
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