At 31 Rue Saint-Guillaume, in the 7th arrondissement, nothing really gives away what lies behind the gate. Yet at the back of a courtyard stands one of the most astonishing houses in Paris: the Maison de Verre, designed starting in 1928 by Pierre Chareau in collaboration with architect Bernard Bijvoet for Dr. Jean Dalsace and his wife Annie. A radically modern structure, conceived as both a family home and a medical practice.
Instead of large, traditional windows, Chareau used a vast grid of translucent glass blocks, supported by a metal framework. During the day, light streams through these blocks while protecting the occupants’ privacy. Inside, steel beams, pipes, mechanical systems, and movable partitions remain visible. The whole structure sometimes resembles a small, sophisticated factory more than a bourgeois home in the Saint-Germain neighborhood.
One of the most famous modernist houses in Paris
The story behind its construction is almost as interesting as the final result. When the Dalsaces launched their project, they wanted to transform an old townhouse situated on the lot. The problem: a tenant on the top floor refused to leave the premises.
Rather than giving up, Chareau came up with a rather spectacular solution. The lower sections of the old building were demolished, while the upper floor remained in place. The new house was then literally slipped underneath, supported by a new metal structure. This constraint partly explains the building’s very distinctive appearance and its three-level layout.
Completed in the early 1930s, the Maison de Verre quickly became a landmark of modern French architecture. Its blend of industrial materials and domestic spaces was particularly bold for its time. The Centre Pompidou notes, for example, that it notably influenced architects such as Richard Rogers, while its interior is still studied today in architecture and design schools.
Listed as a Historic Monument since 1982, it remains, however, one of the hardest monuments to see in Paris. The Maison de Verre is private property and is not a museum open to the public. Its location at the back of a courtyard makes it practically invisible from the street, which only adds to its air of secrecy.
Location: Maison de Verre, 31 rue Saint-Guillaume, 75007 Paris
Hours: private property; not open to the public.