Eileen Gray's Villa E-1027: A Pivotal Contribution to the Modern Movement

Abstract

This thesis focuses on villa E-1027 by Eileen Gray. To be more precise, this thesis will research the design philosophy of Eileen Gray, Villa E-1027 and the development of the modern European Movement. Therefore the main research question that will be answered is how has Eileen Gray's design philosophy shaped Villa E-1027, and what is the contribution of the villa to the development of the modern European movement? This thesis, following the introduction, is divided into 3 chapters based on literature review

Gray viewed Villa E-1027 as a prototype, a model for other architects to build upon and refine her ideas (Goff, 2015). In doing so, she designed a villa that made significant contributions to the development of the modern movement. For example, Gray achieved a remarkable cohesion between furniture, interior, and exterior, a concept later echoed in Villa Tugendhat. Moreover, as previously noted, Gray blurred the barrier between interior and exterior spaces, expanding the unity of the building to include the garden and terraces (Pitiot & Stritzler-Levine, 2020). This architectural innovation can also be observed in later works such as Villa Savoye, Villa Tugendhat, and the Homewood House. Consequently, it is evident that Gray not only furthered the ideas and designs of her contemporaries but also influenced subsequent architectural developments with her innovations implemented in Villa E-1027. In conclusion, Villa E-1027 played a role in the development of the modern European movement by exemplifying how to achieve coherence between furniture, interior, and exterior spaces.

Unfortunately, pinpointing the exact origin of certain architectural solutions or design principles is challenging. It is also difficult to establish who influenced whom and how those influences manifested in the buildings. However, it is evident that modern architects learned from one another, although they often held different perspectives, leading them to approach certain aspects in diverse ways.