Eileen Gray and Le Corbusier,
modern living beside the sea.

Eileen Gray: from furniture to architecture

Born in Ireland in 1878, Eileen Gray trained in the arts, settled in Paris and developed her work in lacquer, rugs and furniture. In 1922 she opened the Jean Désert gallery. Her approach to architecture grew from this attention to materials, everyday gestures and use. Encouraged by Jean Badovici, she extended her investigations from objects to buildings. She later designed Tempe a Pailla at Castellar, near Menton. ^[1]

This background offers a useful way into E-1027. Furniture does more than occupy a room: it helps shape movement, rest and privacy. During a visit, consider the position of the body as well as the outline of the building.

1926–1929: E-1027, a house designed for living

Built between 1926 and 1929 in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, the villa was designed by Eileen Gray with the collaboration of architect Jean Badovici, editor of L’Architecture vivante. Its name combines their initials: E for Eileen, 10 for J, the tenth letter of the alphabet, 2 for B and 7 for G. Modern architectural ideas are accompanied by close attention to comfort inside the house. ^[2]

Built-in furniture, storage and movable elements allow spaces to serve different purposes. Terraces extend everyday life towards the sea. The search for privacy gives the villa a distinctive character: it makes room for companionship while allowing each person a degree of independence. ^[3]

Le Corbusier at E-1027: murals and disagreement

Le Corbusier discovered the villa in the 1930s. During stays in 1938 and 1939, he painted several walls with Jean Badovici’s agreement. These interventions changed an interior that Eileen Gray had designed according to her own ideas. Cap Moderne’s account, drawing on her biographers, records her dislike of the paintings. ^{[3] [4]}

The distinction between the designers matters: E-1027 is the villa of Eileen Gray and Jean Badovici; Le Corbusier subsequently worked there as a painter. For a closer study of this episode and the other murals on the site, art historian Tim Benton’s Le Corbusier. Peintre à Cap Martin is a useful reference. ^[6]

1952: the Cabanon, another approach to seaside living

Nearby, Thomas Rebutato opened L’Étoile de Mer in the late 1940s. His friendship with Le Corbusier made it possible to build the Cabanon in 1952. The restaurant and the small dwelling formed a close relationship rooted in daily life on the cape. ^[4]

The Cabanon brings essential functions into a tiny space. Its proportions use the Modulor, Le Corbusier’s system of measurements related to the human body. The interior provides for rest, work, storage and washing; a door leads into L’Étoile de Mer for meals. Charles Barberis prefabricated the timber elements in Corsica. ^[5]

After E-1027, it is an invitation to compare two answers to the same question: what do we need to live well beside the sea? Look at the openings, the objects within reach and the space available for movement.

L’Étoile de Mer and the Camping Units

Cap Moderne is an ensemble of buildings and human relationships. L’Étoile de Mer, the studio, the Cabanon and the five Camping Units reveal how the site developed. Built in the 1950s, the units extend Le Corbusier’s investigation of holiday accommodation reduced to essentials. ^[6]

Moving between the buildings helps reveal their different scales and purposes. A visit goes beyond two celebrated houses: it also invites reflection on leisure, landscape and shared living in modern architecture.

Preserving the site and recovering its interiors

Restoring E-1027 required detailed research into its structure, materials and furniture. Devaux & Devaux architects describe successive campaigns beginning in 2015, combining the conservation of surviving fabric with the reconstruction of missing elements. The experience of visiting today owes much to that research. ^[8]

In 2016, the Cabanon became part of the seventeen-site series The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. That designation concerns the listed work of Le Corbusier; E-1027 should not be described as a house designed by him. ^[7]

A short timeline

Visiting Cap Moderne from Menton

The Centre des monuments nationaux offers guided visits booked in advance. Reception is on the forecourt of Cap-Martin Roquebrune railway station, avenue Le Corbusier. You can reach the station by train from Menton: check departure times and allow a margin before your appointment. Visits depend on the opening calendar. ^[9]

The site has accessibility restrictions and pushchairs are not admitted. Read the detailed conditions before booking. The official Cap Moderne website provides visitor information and access to the ticket office. ^[9]

From Terrasse d’Azur, this excursion fits naturally between a day in Menton’s gardens and a discovery of the Winter Palace. Three perspectives on the Riviera: botany, Belle Époque holidays and new ideas about modern living.