architecture and e-1027

Influenced by Badovici, Gray began to study avant-garde art and architecture with the support of Polish architect Adrienne Górska. Her style of furniture design evolved towards clean lines, metal, and glass. In 1926 Gray began work on a villa on the Mediterranean called E-1027.

The name is an acronym for the initials of Eileen and Jean Badovici: E for Eileen, 10 and 2 representing initials J and B, and 7 for G—her surname, Gray. It’s said that the name of the villa represents the embrace Gray gives to Badovici, and thus she turned away from the cold, machine-like attitude more typical of the avant-garde. It is also rumored that E-1027 is a subtle architectural pun against Le Corbusier.

E-1027. A view from outside

E-1027.

Inside E-1027. Photo by Mary Gaudin.

 

Inside E-1027. A room with green walls, white furniture and a black sofa
Interiors of E-1027 with a Bibendum chair
Created with Sketch.

her [eileen gray’s] work is very interesting and very important but seems to somehow slip the consciousness of everybody. —zeev aram, london design retailer and gallerist

Eileen Gray’s petite coiffeuse

Eileen Gray’s petite coiffeuse. © Aram. Aram.co.uk

 

сontroversy with
le corbusier

Gray and Badovici split in 1931. E-1027 remained with Badovici while Gray built herself a new villa: Tempe a païa. She explicitly stated that she wanted the walls of E-1027 to remain permanently white. This lead to controversy when Le Corbusier, a friend of Badovici, visited E-1027 in 1938 and, without receiving permission, painted eight cubist murals on its walls. Some of them contained sexual images alluding to Gray, and photos revealed that Le Corbusier had painted her naked. Gray declared it an act of vandalism and male chauvinism, while Le Corbusier claimed he was merely joking.

However, for Le Corbusier, the murals and E-1027 likely weren’t simply a joke. He was obsessed with E-1027 throughout the rest of his life. Le Corbusier tried to purchase the house many times and added extra imagery to some of the murals when he could—even as late as 1962. After his efforts failed, he built himself a small summer house adjacent to E-1027 called Cabanon. Le Corbusier eventually died of a heart attack in 1965 while swimming in front of E-1027.

Le Corbusier’s mural at E-1027 depicting two lovers
Tempe a païa interior

Le Corbusier’s mural at E-1027.

Tempe a païa interior, 1932.

 

Naked Le Corbusier painting one of his murals at Eileen Gray's E-1027, looking into camera
Le Corbusier, Yvonne Gallis and Jean Badovici at E-1027

Le Corbusier, Yvonne Gallis and Jean Badovici at E-1027 © FLC/DACS, 2016.

Inside of E-1027

Inside of E-1027.

Le Corbusier painting one of his murals at Eileen Gray's E-1027 / Photo: Foundation Le Corbusier.

Created with Sketch.

the significance of E-1027 is that it is both an example of avant-garde modernism and a subtle critique of the functionalist element in modernism. —tim benton, art historian

Eileen Gray’s St. Tropez rug. View from above
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15