villa savoye

This place is a blast from the past with a very modern look. Built in 1931, is one of the most easily recognizable and renowned examples of the International style. It is still in very good condition. We drove past the place two times because the sign is so small and you can't see it from the street. Our navigations system told us we were there but we couldn't see it.

Excellent trip, especially for architecture buffs. I'd echo the positives in the other posts and recommend googling for the many excellent write-ups on the architectural significance of the house (some suggestions below). I visited on a soggy grey day in January. Not the best weather or season to appreciate the house but still worth it. The staff was dedicated and friendly, and the hourlong English-language tour, which starts at 11AM, was great. Afterwards you can walk around as much as you like, and you have almost complete access to the house--45 minutes was enough to take a few unhurried walks through the house and around the grounds. There were about 10 people on the tour, and about 20 people total onsite while I was there. So a little crowded--this was still the holidays--but not terrible.To get there, you can take the RER A train from Paris' Gare Lyon Station to Poissy Station. Tickets are about 5 Euros each way. Note that the RER A train from Paris splits mid-way to three different endpoints, so be sure you're on the one headed to Poissy (it's the last stop on the route). It's about a 35-minute trip. Once you're at Poissy, go left after you exit the turnstiles to reach the bus stop and look for the #50 bus to the Villa Savoye stop. You can pay the 2 euro bus fare in cash on the bus; I think maybe credit card too, but I'm not sure. The ride is about 8 minutes and the stop is Villa Savoye. Very easy to find.Alternatively, the walking route is pretty straightforward and takes about 20-25 mins. You can find the route on Google maps. You'll want to turn right out of the train station to begin. It's uphill to Villa Savoye, so easier to walk back.It's definitely worth reading up on the house and its history prior to the visit. Funny as it may sound, I thought the best short introductory essay was in the instruction booklet for the Lego version of the house. PDF is here: http://cache.lego.com/bigdownloads/buildinginstructions/6039461.pdfAnd here's a short essay from Architecture Daily: http://www.archdaily.com/84524/ad-classics-villa-savoye-le-corbusier/It's also very helpful to read up about the problems the house had shortly after construction: http://misfitsarchitecture.com/2011/09/03/the-darker-side-of-villa-savoye/One thing that has been mentioned in a couple posts but really stood out--the house is in desperate need of renovation. Cracked windows, peeling paint, mildew everywhere, stained surfaces... it's in rough shape (this is perhaps in keeping with the house's history of being very difficult to maintain!). The rooms are mostly empty and unfurnished, except for the main reception room, which has a couple of threadbare pieces. The house would benefit from more furniture. As you walk through, it's not hard to picture it in its short-lived glory, but it does take some imagination. Many of the write-ups also mentioned nature and forest. While the house still sits on a sizeable piece of land and there's lots of greenery, it's definitely not surrounded by forest anymore. The location is a suburb, and a large high school looms just outside the property and is visible from the windows. This doesn't detract from the visit much, just something that stood out. Finally, much of the first level is taken up by administrative offices and the gift shop, which takes away from the experience somewhat.But with those out of the way I'll reiterate it's a fascinating place and was well worth the trip.

Villa Savoye is situated in Poissy, just outside of Paris. We had to take the RER-A direction Poissy and then continue by bus no.50.Firstly, the trip from Paris to the villa was an exploration itself: we got the chance to see a different side of France, a different scenery from Paris, and a closer contact with the locals.The villa is in a large private site, with a lot of trees, which reinforces the concept of integrating the building with its surrounding.This villa is a must see to every Architect, because it represents the 5 points of the Modern architecture, created by Le Corbusier. And the promenade inside the place is really worth the visit.We used the Paris Museum Pass to enter, but make sure you don't plan the visit on Mondays because it is closed.

Villa Savoye is situated in large, private grounds, not far from the centre of Poissy. Though the design ideas have since been "copied" a million times, what makes Villa Savoye interesting is that it was breaking new ground in design terms, being onstructed very early on in the modern movement. Also, of course, it was designed by "the master" himself, Le Corbusier.Allow an hour to visit, and take your time going round. It's not a large house, but there are lots of really interesting design features that are worth the effort.

An unusual house who show to the visitor the style of Le Corbusier and at the same time the style of a period. Nice discovery

We visited Villa Savoye and happened to notice that there is an English tour every Wed and Fri. We asked the ticket guy who said he would be leading it at 11am. We toured the villa for half an hour and returned to the front desk to find that my husband and I were the only ones. The guide, Thomas, was just fantastic as he was excellent in giving us the history of the villa, the historic aspects of the modern movement in the early 1900's, the owners of the villa, the design philosophy and of course the MAN, Le Corbusier. My husband has some architectural education so he was more knowledgeable while I have none. But we both felt that the tour opened my eyes to so many details of the design such as "the hole in the wall", the tiled lounge chair in the bathroom and the sink in the middle of the entrance hall. We just gained so much from this tour and would strongly encourage anyone who plans to visit the villa to include the tour in their scheduling. By the way Thomas leads both English and French tours.

Villa Savoye is a short bus ride or an uphill walk from Poissy station. While it is of special interest to lovers of architecture, most people would enjoy visiting this famous house. The large grounds make it an oasis from the busy streets outside. Nice place to enjoy a picnic lunch. The small shop has a selection of books on art and architecture, including art and craft books for children.Definitely worth a visit.

It is worth making the trip out to Poissy from Paris even if you're not particularly knowledgable about architecture as this is a visually striking example of the modernist style in a calm environment. Poissy can be reached by RER (line A from Charles De Gaulle Etoile, Chatelet, Gare de Lyon or Nation in Paris). Trains run every 30 minutes during the day and journey time is about 30 minutes. On arrival you can either take bus 50 (direction: Coudraie) to 'Villa Savoie' or it's possible to walk as the house is clearly signposted from the town centre. That takes 20 minutes. The Villa Savoie is classic Le Corbusier. It's set in a tranquil, spacious garden surrounded by leafy trees and the house itself is airy, light and strikingly modernist in its simple design both inside and outside. Admission is 7.5 euros and photography is permitted. Even if you're not a fan of Le Corbusier you can appreciate the innovation on display, the stunning views from the roof terrace and the beauty in the simplicity of the villa's design. The gardener's house at the gate of the villa(also designed by Le Corbusier) is currently being renovated and should also be open to visitors in the future.

Even for non-architects, this place is a good way to understand modernist thinking in designing houses. Bus and train schedules can post some problems as you may end up waiting for a long time, so check the schedules before going there and at what time you can leave to catch your bus back at the train station.

Went with my sister and brother in law who are architects and wanted to see the space. It was interesting even for the non architect, but someone who just likes modern architecture. I thought the house and permanent exhibit were good and worth the trip out.What was extremely annoying and detracted from the trip was the temporary exhibit "The Light Hours". It consisted of solar panels running speakers and annoying mechanical beeping noises. These were repetitive and grating and made you want to get out of the space instead of linger. The exhibit is done the end of June 2014 so anyone after should be in for a better tour.

Designed by Le Corbusier, this modern structure is most interesting.. My Granddaughter is a student of Architecture and visiting Villa Savoye was on her list of must see places to visit in and around Paris. Because she had the foresight to bring her student identification there was no admission charge for her. Our hotel arranged a taxi from Paris to Poissey where the house is located but you can take the train and pick up a taxi at the station. The cost was 57 Euros for the three of us which was a bargain to be driven door to door. On Wednesday the tour is given in English by a wonderful young Frenchman who is a wealth of information. Whether or not Modern Architecture is high on your list, a visit to Villa Savoye wil certainlyl be worth the trip!.

Any architecture enthusiast should definitely add the Villa Savoye to his Paris itinerary: I won't go into details about how amazing this structure is - suffice it to say that I was knocked off my feet the first time I visited, both by the way the building is tied to the surrounding nature and by the way it appears to float above the ground..Glorious. And this despite the fact that a lot of work could be done to restore off its original beauty both externally and internally. It is also worth noting that the original view from the house and grounds has been modified as a hedge has been plated at a point that was not even at the half way mark of the original property, cutting out an extraordinary view over the park and down to the river.Some information that might come in handy for your visit:BEFORE YOUR VISIT: Read up on Le Corbusier's work, ideas, theories and the Villa Savoye itself. A good place to start is the Wiki article...HOW TO GET THERE: From Paris you can easily take the RER ligne A to Poissy Station (end of the line. Be aware that you need a more expensive ticket to get here). Leave the station from the "Place de la Gare" exit. Upon exiting turn left under the covered passage to the bus station and take bus no 50 - direction "la Coudraie" (you can use a local metro ticket on the bus or buy a ticket from the driver). Get off at the bus stop "Villa Savoye".AFTER YOUR VISIT: Instead of taking the bus back to the station turn left upon leaving the villa and wander down the road. Then take the third road to your left (Alée des Glaieuls). Keep going through the charming little houses your their beautiful gardens until you come to the "Enclos de l'Abbaye". Here you can either turn left down into the marvellous "Parc Meissonier" - a typical French parc which is a lot larger than it look at first, or continue straight down the "Enclos de l'Abbaye" which will take you through the medieval heart of Poissy - including the remains of the Abbey from the 14th century. You will come out at the "Musée de Jouet" (Toys Museum) itself worth a visit!From here turn left down Avenue Meissonier to come to the church "Collegiale Notre Dame" a 12th century church in which the king Saint Louis was baptised (he was born in Poissy). If you are fluent in French there is a long wiki article dedicated to this church. The shortest route back to the train station from here is to follow Rue Saint-Louis (just turn right at the church) and take the third right at the traffic lights (Av. Maurice Berteaux) which will take you straight to the station. Alternatively, if you are feeling peckish, at the lights you could make a sharp right into Rue du Général de Gaulle - the towns central shopping street. Great fare can be found at "La Chaumière" (1st right - Rue au Pain), the brasserie "Batignolle" on the same crossroads, or for a very good sushi restaurant the Hokkaido just 100 m further down.

If you are interested in modern architecture, this short train trip to Poissy is a great morning adventure. The guided tour of the house was provided (in French) by an enthusiastic docent. The house is beautiful of course, but I was dissapointed that it wasn't staged with furntiure, art, or accessories of the period. Same for Corbu's Villa Roche in Paris. They feel cold and sterile, which might leave you with the wrong impression. But, from architectural perspective they are both important and worthwhile to visit. Please read about both houses before you visit, especially if your French is not strong. We waited a while for a bus at train station in Poissy, so finally snagged taxi from nearby stand. Driver gave us his card, so we were able to call him when we were finished to go back to train station.

Villa Savoyve has worth to visit. The place designed by Great architect "Le Corbusier" in around '20 which there has not much architecture like this in that period. He was a leading modernism architect at that time. If you go by Train you should aware that RER line A has many destinations. I told the ticket booth that i need to go Poissy but she gave me a wrong destination. When I arrived Poissy, I cannot get out of the station. Luckily, there has some nice woman with good English around there, so she talked to the officer about this problem. They seem not to care so much but they let me out, anyway.If you are alone traveller, Please beware some pick-pocket or someone who come to you with millions ways to ask for money. Because Poissy is a bit far from Paris. It took around 45 min or 1 hr (i cannot rememnber, but around that). So There are more n more less people when the thair goes farer.But The place is nice. Clean, Fresh air, Good people. Worth for architecture lover to visit.

This masterpiece, designed by Le Corbusier, was on my bucket list since I was in my early teens. During a visit to Paris with my wife, and local family, we (myself) decided to visit the house after the obligated Versailles outing. I was acting like a kid on the way to the house, obviously exited by the idea of experiencing the space I studied so much. The contrast of visiting the castle first emphaized my experience at the Swiss architects' modernist building. But even my family who are Parisians, and had never visited the property, where extremely pleased to visit this off-the-beatten-path attraction. They couldn't believe the house was built in the early 20th century.I paid the entry fee and immediately split from the group traveling up the ramps and stairs all the way to the roof in awe that I was actually inside the house. There were about 20 people walking around terrazes and interior spaces but I hardly noticed them. After about an hour of walking, sitting, laying, and taking hundreds of pictures we exited the house and sat close to the bank admiring the structure. We bought souvenirs for my father and my brother-in-law, who are both architcects, and reluctantly left the property. I was floored by the fluidity of the spaces and even tough most rooms are not furnished it is easy to imagine the house inhabited. This experience was well worth the 30 minute drive from Versailles for everyone and it is a MUST for every architecture entusiast.