LE CORBUSIER IN PARIS: THE CHRIS BLACK PORTFOLIO
Chris Black is not slowing down during our current lockdown—and you wouldn’t expect him to. He just can’t stop creating what the kids call “content." He’s hosting the How Long Gone podcast with Jason Stewart, and he’s just launched his newsletter from his other podcast, Public Announcement. I imagine we’re all thinking about favorite places that now seem impossibly far away. So I asked Chris, one of my favorite photographers, to share some images from a trip to Paris. -DC
Unfortunately, when I visit Paris, I don’t do too much exploring. But this last trip we were able to spend a Saturday afternoon in the quiet 16th arrondissement of western part of the city. This residential area, historically home to the wealthiest Parisians, is full of beautiful architecture.
Our first stop was the apartment of modernism’s founding father, Le Corbusier. Le Corbusier was 44 when he received the commission for the Molitor Building at 24 Rue Nungesser et Coli, built between 1931 and 1934. He designed the entire block for a private developer with Swiss architect (and cousin!) Pierre Jeanneret. Le Corbusier arranged to get possession of the seventh and eighth floors for himself, where he lived from 1934 with his wife, Yvonne Gallis, until he died in 1965. It was modestly renovated over two years, completed in 2018, replacing degraded materials, reviving colors and textures, and improving thermal conditions.
The 2,600-square-foot space served as a testing ground for his five points of modern architecture. The first floor has only a few corridors and doors; the walls are painted in primary colors, and there’s a roof terrace that overlooks the street. Upstairs, he reserved space for a stark atelier, where he painted in the mornings and designed in the afternoon. Pretty ideal if you ask me.
A short walk from the apartment is a grouping of stores and spaces helmed by Gauthier Borsarello. A former classically trained musician, he now sells vintage clothing out of a private showroom in the same building as the Holiday Boileau store, where he’s style director. That space also houses the office for his magazine, L’Etiquette. Just down the street is his well-stocked American vintage store, Le Vif Boutique. If you’re hungry head over to the Holiday Vegan Diner for a late lunch or espresso. My man is literally running the neighborhood!
The last stop on our tour of the 16th is another excellent men’s shop Beige Habilleur which stocks a great selection of books and magazines as well as clothing, accessories, and footwear from Drake’s, Ring Jacket, Grenfell, Camber USA, Padmore & Barnes, and Doek.
An excellent break from my usual Parisian routine. A little culture, a little shopping. The best of both worlds! Explore the 16th next time you have a chance.
-Chris Black
