Correspondence: The Villa Savoye, from Its Design to Its Recognition
© Céline Baez
In celebration of the 2026 National Architecture Days, the ENSA Paris-la Villette invites the general public to a reading of a selection of letters by Le Corbusier, adapted for the stage by Marlène Da Rocha, a teacher at the Cours Florent, and performed by young actors from this school of theater, film, music, and musical theater.
On Staged Readings
In late summer 1928, Pierre and Eugénie Savoye decided to have a country house built on their property in Poissy and commissioned Le Corbusier to design it. The Savoye family quickly noticed construction defects. After the war, the villa was no longer habitable and was left to fall into disrepair. Concerned by the city of Poissy’s plan to demolish the villa, architects from around the world rallied together and formed a committee to save it. In 1959, the Minister of Culture, André Malraux, took steps to preserve the villa, which the city transferred to the state along with a 1-hectare plot of land. Restoration work began in 1963, and in 1965, the villa was designated a Historic Monument, a few months after the death of its architect.
Young actors from the Cours Florent are presenting a dramatic reading of Le Corbusier’s letters, in which he defends the technical and aesthetic choices made for the Villa Savoye against his critics.
In partnership with
Detail of the official visual for the 2026 National Architecture Days – © Ministry of Culture / Steve Scott
About the National Architecture Days
Organized by the Ministry of Culture, the 11th edition of National Architecture Days will take place on Thursday, the 15th, and Friday, the 16th (two days set aside specifically for young audiences as part of the “Look Up!” initiative ”), Saturday, October 17, and Sunday, October 18, 2026. These days are intended to bring together initiatives that help all audiences discover architecture and the professions within the field.
This year’s theme will be: “Rehabilitate: Building the Future.”
