Robert Mallet-Stevens Paperback – October 16, 2014

This monography seems to avoid biographical elements about the French architect Robert Mallet-Stevens (1886-1945). Why this unusual double family name (father and mother, as in Spanish) and what caused his death at a relatively young age? Mallet-Stevens regained status since the retrospective at the Centre Pompidou, Paris (2005). With the (re) opening of Villa Noailles in Hyères and – recently Villa Cavrois in Croix/Him he seems closer to the status of the ruthless modernist Le Corbusier. The monograph demonstrates that Mallet-Stevens was a traditionalist with roots in the early Viennese modernism of Josef Hoffmann. (Mallet-Stevens ' sister was married to the principal of the Brussels Palais Stoclet, built by Hoffmann.) Mallet-Stevens was allround architect: trade fair stands, exhibition buildings, retail and film scenography. This specialty he used in the indirect lighting of large spaces as in Villa Cabrois.This booklet covers Mallet-Stevens ' projects and his involvement in the Union des Artistes Modernes (UAM) which encountered harsh criticism, how the Soviet Union, Germany and even the ever so pure Netherlands were suffering from the modernist plague. The Dutch Berlage treats architecture in a lamentable manner. Villa Cavrois clarly shows influences of the (Dutch) new objectivity. Indeed. Mallet-Stevens and Cavrois visited Dudok's Hilversum Town Hall which is stylistically very similar, while it was still under construction. Sonneveld House (Brinkman & Van der Vlugt) was also built in those days. Unclear whether Mallet-Stevens was there as well or at Berlage’s Gemeentemuseum in the Hague. The geometric De Stijl work corner in a boys ' room in the Villa Cavrois seems one-on-one from the Rietveld-Schröderhuis, still his name is not mentioned.It makes you wonder what he would have created if Mallet-Stevens would have reached the present mature age (70 +) of contemporary influential architects. Likely public buildings. He possessed great flair to add dramatic value to large spaces. The villas – Villa Paul Poiret was not even completed because of his bankruptcy - are too elaborate, once in a lifetime dream projects.Nice addition is the sober drawings/photo book ' Une Demeure ' 1934 about the Villa Cavrois, just after being completed.

Comme les ouvrages de cette série la mise ne page ne change pas : bio suivi de quelques projets abondamment illustrés. J'ignorais que Mallet Stevens avait aussi peu construit tant ses quelques villas sont présentes dans les publications. Mallet Stevens après sa mort a connu une longue période d'oubli jusqu'au début des années 80, due à la critique injustifiée de S Giedon. Cet ouvrage relie son Oeuvre et celles d'autres architectes de son époque.

produit impeccable qui correspond à mon attente merci