The one that started it all. Villa Savoye. What an experience it was to see it in person! I saw it first in pictures in my art history book back in 2004 during a class I took while at SCAD, called “20th Century Art.” I think I’ve probably mentioned that class before in this blog somewhere. It made such an impact on me. I owe so much of who I am now to that class and Prof. Steven Myers. 13 years later, there I was—standing on the lawn in front of it. I could barely believe my eyes! But the pictures don’t lie. I was there, finally.

Located in the outskirts of Paris, in a town called Poissy, the Villa Savoye stands proud—since 1931—on a sprawling property surrounded by trees. It represents the origins of modernist architecture and it’s a perfect example of Le Corbusier’s trademarks—his “five points”—pilotis, wide windows that almost turn the corners, a roof that functions as a terrace and garden, an open plan interior with no load-bearing walls, and an exterior that is devoid of any structural function. It’s fascinating to me that so much beauty can come from such rigor and humility. And from that beauty, so many emotions. It’s just a space—just some walls, a floor and a roof. But design and architecture bring me so much joy!