See inside rare Le Corbusier villa for sale in the Var

An extraordinary piece of modern architectural history in the south of France is now on offer to buyers prepared to take on both heritage and restoration.

Villa l’Artaude, the only house in the Var designed by the 20th Century’s most famous architect Le Corbusier, is on for sale for €2.35million. 

Built between 1930 and 1931 in the town of Le Pradet, the 200m2 property is classified as a historic monument and carries the prestige of one of the leading figures of modern architecture. 

Commissioned by Swiss arts patron Hélène de Mandrot, who first met Le Corbusier at the inaugural International Congress of Modern Architecture in 1928, Villa l’Artaude was conceived as a family holiday home. 

Rather than replicating the stark white “purist” style for which Le Corbusier is best known, the villa blends modernist principles with Mediterranean tradition. It features an L‑shaped layout, a panoramic south‑facing terrace and walls clad in local stone that give it a distinctly Provençal character within Le Corbusier’s body of work. 

Experts describe the house as a transitional work in Le Corbusier’s career, combining elements such as open floor plans, long horizontal windows and a flat roof with regional materials and forms that anchor the design in its landscape. The original garden was once adorned with sculptures by Jacques Lipchitz, and the property’s orientation and use of light reflect the architect’s careful integration of interior and exterior spaces. 

“This house is offered for sale exclusively by Architecture de Collection, the first real estate agency dedicated to showcasing and promoting remarkable 20th- and 21st-Century architecture,” said Kenya Amaro, architect at Architecture de Collection.

Today the villa sits on a 2,450m2 plot planted with Mediterranean flora including lavender, cypress and lemon trees, offering seclusion above the surrounding hills. The interior includes three bedrooms, a large living room with a stone fireplace, and period features such as a bathtub set into the floor. 

The current owner, a Swiss family who inherited the home, has chosen to put the property on the market. Real estate agents handling the sale say they are looking for a buyer committed to preserving its heritage, rather than simply using it as a standard luxury residence. 

Despite its architectural significance, Villa l’Artaude is not without challenges for a new owner. Restoration work on dated fittings, broken joinery and the broader fabric of the house could cost between €350,000 and €1 million, according to agents familiar with the listing. Because the villa is classed as a historic monument, renovation must comply with specific cultural heritage regulations in France. 

With a colourful past - from its original owner who found it uncomfortable and passed it on to her housekeeper, to a spell as a henhouse, and its careful restoration in the 1970s – this private villa offers a rare chance to own a masterpiece by a pioneer of modern architecture.

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