One of the earliest Modernist houses, Adolf Loos' Villa Karma is spectacularly located on the shores of Lac (Lake) Léman (Geneva) in Clarens, Switzerland, with the Alps soaring in the distance. Privately owned (and for sale), we could only gawk from the street. The best views are of the service side of the building, but it's nonetheless a worthy peer over the fence.
Loos designed the building in 1903 with construction completed in 1912. The building is remarkably unmodified, at least on the exterior. Technically (?), the project is a remodel; however, Loos' design completely enveloped the original structure, radically changing it. This was Loos' first house, designed when he was 33.
The client fired Loos in 1906, replacing him with Hugo Ehrlich in 1908. Both Loos and Ehrlich considered Villa Karma "their" work. Ehrlich vandalized Loos' design by adding the cupolas on the top of the structure.
The owner, Dr. Theodor Beer, liked Buddhism, hence the name and the yin and yang symbols on the entry door. He was accused of crimes and paid a fine that bankrupted him. He committed suicide the day authorities auctioned Villa Karma.
Loos and his client, Theodor Beer, at the Villa Karma building site
The above two photos are of the dining room which are interesting but (my my eyes) not terribly impressive. Now, in color:
photos from the sale posting:
Across the street (up where we parked) is Villa Kenwin. Designed and built in 1931 by Alexandre Ferenczy and Hermann Henselmann, the villa is clearly influenced by Le Corbusier.
No comments:
Post a Comment