Leave it to Louis Vuitton to build an architectural masterpiece by Charlotte Perriand in Milan, have it deconstructed and then shipped to Miami just in the knick of time for Art Basel 2013, which ran Dec. 3 to the 8th. Yes, design buffs relished the sight of La Maison au bord de l’eau (“the house on the water”), a miniature modern home floating behind The Raleigh Hotel as it played host to the week’s swankiest affairs — from an intimate dinner to a lazy afternoon barbeque — compliments of the Design Miami satellite exhibit.
Perriand, the protégé of famed French architect Le Corbusier, designed the home decades ago, in 1934. She designed the home for a competition sponsored by L’Architecture d’Aujourd’hui magazine and won second place. Fortuitously, Louis Vuitton Women’s Creative Director Julie de Libran and her team recently uncovered the plans for the house, when granted access to Perriand’s archives for inspiration in designing Louis Vuitton’s Spring/Summer 2014 Icons collection. And so the opportunity to bring Perriand’s modern marvel to life for Art Basel’s design enthusiasts was set into motion.
A true visionary, Perriand’s beach house remains ahead of its time — minimalist, natural, eco-friendly and ageless. The home was built in a workshop outside of Milan, then deconstructed and shipped to Miami where it was rebuilt. Furnished with warm woods and expertly tailored leathers, the home served as one of the most highly anticipated Design Miami installations.
Those fortunate enough to explore the jewel box of a home felt a design dream come to fruition — even if for six sweet days.
