Architecture and the Automobile. Part 2: the Citroën ‘Cavrois’ inspired by Mallet-Stevens

In this second part of our “Architecture and the Automobile” feature, we invite you to the heart of our shared passion: automotive design, and the impact that 1930s architecture can have on the design of a Citroën family car for tomorrow. Here’s an emblematic location, a well-thought-out automotive project for the family and a French architect to rediscover…

Contrary to popular belief, the 1930s architecture that inspired this automotive project was not designed by Le Corbusier. The latter used to place an Avions Voisin in front of his creations for propaganda photos. No, this time it’s a villa (above) by another equally talented architect – and Le Corbusier’s rival, though both held each other in high esteem – who even has a street named after him in the 16th arrondissement of Paris (see in the Bonus section): Robert Mallet-Stevens (1886-1945).

At the end of the 1920s, this French architect created the Moderne movement of designers who reinterpreted the Arts Décoratifs movement, imbuing it with the new technologies and materials then in vogue. In 1929, at the request of the Cavrois family, Robert Mallet-Stevens began work on the interior and exterior architecture of a sumptuous villa in Croix, near Lille. Quite simply, it’s the Villa Cavrois. It exudes the modernist spirit of the 1930s, which followed on from the Roaring Twenties, and was fortunately restored in-extremis from a pitiful state (see our Bonus at the end of this post).

The Villa was inaugurated in 1932, and it was the Villa itself, with its half-moon volumes contrasting with its verticality, or its contrasting materials and colors, that seduced – 92 years after its birth – two transport design students from the Rubika school in Valenciennes: Maxime Cettier for exterior design and Thomas Leggett for interior design. Their project for a Citroën station wagon was largely inspired by the Mallet-Stevens design.

Above, a quick summary of some of the elements typical of the French architect’s creations, which can be found on the Cettier-Leggett duo’s project. In 1, the contrasting horizontal sweeps reinterpreted at the base of the windscreen. In 2, the half-moon volumes and in 3, the brickwork and the atmosphere of the Villa’s ponds are echoed in this illustration of the Citroën Cavrois.

Maxime Cettier’s second study adopts the half-moon shapes seen in the Villa, but still features classic side glazing.

Who are these budding designers? Maxime and Thomas, both 24, graduated at the end of last year. Maxime explains, “We were in the same class and have known each other for four years. At the end of fifth year, Thomas had a project for this interior inspired by the Villa Cavrois. I joined him as exterior designer, as we were strongly inspired after a visit to the Villa.” All in parallel with their studies.

The third theme is the right one: the rear passengers are given real attention so that they can discover the landscape with an extraordinary viewpoint in the form of large portholes.

Thomas Leggett explains, “I first visited the Villa Cavrois as an art school student, but we were both struck by the way the house had been thought through and by what the architect had wanted to design in a very avant-garde way. Even though it dates back to 1932, it’s still very modern and functional for a large family.”

We discovered a very geometric design and I was personally inspired by the phrase at the entrance. The architect Mallet-Stevens writes that he designed this house with the family in mind, and it took me back to the family car that my parents still own. So I designed this project first for the family, and Maxime joined me immediately because we both have an architectural sensibility.

Architecture, whether inspirational with the Villa Cavrois or technical, is an integral part of the project. Maxime Cettier confirms that “we didn’t want to ‘design’ a car, but to ‘build’ it in its exterior and interior volumes. Robert Mallet-Stevens’s phrase inscribed in the Villa explains that what interested him in the Cavrois family was their taste for original things, their enthusiasm for life, and therefore to build the house according to these family desires. With Thomas, we were guided by this formulation for our project.” The close-up below shows that Maxime Cettier has taken the family concept head-on, imagining a child-friendly door opening with intuitive foot controls and a large “PUSH” logo. And the originality of this exterior design comes from the two rear passenger portholes…

Thomas Legget, in charge of interior design, played with these unusual portholes: “They are made of glass, with a projection of indirect lighting on board, like the indirect lighting designed by Mallet-Stevens for the Villa Cavrois. They also incorporate a nightlight for children.” Both agree that this opening “offers a poetic view of the outside world, like in a ship’s cabin, where you can revel in the sight of the sea and immerse yourself in a world of travel. We wanted to convey this feeling and offer children a new view of the outside world.

Maxime focused on the exterior design, drawing freely on the French architect’s work, in particular “respecting the vertical geometry, horizontal sweeps and semi-round volumes. I wanted to emphasize row-2, so that the children would have a good view of the outside world and be able to enjoy the scenery. Hence the reworked porthole.

Beyond the strong signature of the side portholes, Maxime Cettier – the project’s exterior designer – built “the car’s volumes by taking into account the half-cylinder shape recurrent in Mallet-Stevens’s architecture, whether on the exterior or the interior of the Villa Cavrois, notably with the space dedicated to the fireplace. I then drew the volumes in 3D and played with them to come up with three proposals. With Thomas, we chose the one in which the design is based on a single-body, MPV concept designed for families.

The color of the upholstery is reminiscent of the furniture designed by architect Mallet-Stevens for the Villa Cavrois.

On board, the architectural and color themes are respected to the letter by Thomas Leggett. “The signature exterior with the porthole is very interesting to magnify inside. I’ve taken the iconic MPV winks and reinterpreted them in a more architectural way with a real idea of mobilier.” Below, we can see that the round glass of the porthole has a space for books at its base, while the lower storage area takes the form of a small piece of furniture, with sliding doors.

We’ve done a lot of work on on-board lighting, in addition to that provided by the two round side windows. The light doesn’t shine directly on the passengers, but is reflected in the volumes of the door medallions. The latter also echo the thematic shapes of the Villa Cavrois. Lighting is also present in the small storage units for children.”

Naturally, Thomas also focused on the seats, as “they are the most important element, and I designed them with rounded shapes all the way to the top, so that children could rest their heads on them. I modified them when Maxime came up with the idea of side portholes to improve the transition between inside and outside.” Maxime adds, “We also maximized on-board space with a basic package inspired by the Renault Scénic E-Tech.

A single-spoke steering wheel, of course!

One final remark: why is this project a Citroën? Has the manufacturer made a commitment to the two designers? “No, not at all,” they claim. “It’s a personal choice! No doubt inspired by family cars… And why not take the indirect lighting theme found on board and extend it to the headlamps and lights for the exterior design, with an original light signature? Maxime explains, “At the start of my research, I wanted to take up the half-cylinder shape for the headlights, but it’s still an avenue to explore!

Storage chests are treated like real furniture.

This Citroën Cavrois would be on a par with the next C5 Aircross in the Citroën range… But with a happier, even more family-oriented vision, with a cabin that gives pride of place to the often neglected row-2. These two young designers, both graduates, are ready to take on any automotive project with their very singular approach. “Hello? Pierre Leclercq, this is LIGNES/auto, can you hear me?

BONUS: Architect Robert Mallet-Stevens and the Villa Cavrois

For all those who like to delve into archives, like archaeologists looking for clues, Robert Mallet-Stevens is not the most beloved: he actually asked for his archives to be destroyed after his death. However, this architect was unable to erase from the collective memory his past as a film set designer during the Roaring Twenties, and in particular for Marcel L’Herbier’s film (L’Inhumaine in 1923 below). His sets already laid the foundations for his future architecture, as orders for villas – sometimes called… châteaux – poured in from leading figures of the era, such as fashion designer Paul Poiret.

Robert Mallet-Stevens laid the foundations for his work, as expressed by the designluminy.com website: the notions of proportion, expression and the play of reliefs are all plastic discoveries that belong to the domain of geometry, the very basis of architecture,” he liked to say. All his work is imbued with it, whatever the scale, from cubic shot glasses to his great creations such as the Villa Cavrois or the Palais de la Lumière at the 1937 exhibition.”

From the 1920s to the 1930s, the Mallet-Stevens signature remained the same, whether expressed in film sets – in 2 below – or on his own street in Paris – in1– But where does his name come from? From the Belgian Guillaume Mallet, his father (an art expert) and his mother, Stevens. He even went so far as to shorten his first name, from Robert to “Rob”, as seen above in his signature on one of the walls of the street that bears his name in the 16th arrondissement of Paris.

The rue Mallet-Stevens architectural vocabulary dates from 1926-1927. It would become omnipresent in the Frenchman’s work, particularly when he was approached by the Cavrois family to design the eponymous Villa in Croix, a few kilometers from Lille. The elevation of this villa is drawn freehand according to a geometric figure – below – from which the building blossoms. According to designluminy, “the composition of the north façade is based on perfect symmetry, the axis of which is superimposed on the axis of the door. The latter forms a perfect square, while the vertical of the tower offsets the composition towards the right wing, which is shorter than the left. The overall symmetry is redeemed by the interplay of terraces and the two symmetrical side staircases at the end of the layout.” If you visit the Villa Cavrois (https://www.villa-cavrois.fr/), you’ll never look at it the same way again…

And if you visit it, you’ll undoubtedly discover its incredible history. This villa, like others signed by the French architect, met with an unfortunate fate. It’s a miracle! This extraordinary building was abandoned and then stripped at the end of the 1980s, only to be rescued by the skin of its teeth after being protected as a historic monument. A vast restoration operation followed, which you can relive here: https: //www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsYQYjug6eQ

And of course, if you’re passing through the capital, don’t hesitate to take a stroll down Rue Mallet-Stevens. It’s a fairly short street that highlights the architectural and geometric principles the architect followed throughout his life. Above, the building that opens this street: Joël Martel’s 1927 mansion, photographed this year by the author. Further information: https: //www.unjourdeplusaparis.com/paris-insolite/rue-mallet-stevens-triomphe-de-la-ligne-droite

Thanks to Maxime Cettier and Thomas Leggett for their availability(contact.maximecettier@gmail.com and contact.thomasleggett@gmail.com)
To find out more about Mallet-Stevens: http: //www.malletstevens.com/oeuvre.htm

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Dossier Architecture et Automobile. Partie 2 : la Citroën 'Cavrois' inspirée par Mallet-Stevens

Dans cette seconde partie de notre dossier “Architecture et automobile”, nous vous invitons au cœur de notre passion commune : le design automobile et l’impact qu’une architecture des années 1930 peut avoir sur la conception d’une Citroën familiale pour demain. Voici un lieu emblématique, un projet automobile bien pensé pour […]

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