Tempe à Pailla is nestled in the idyllic hinterland of the French Riviera – an iconic gem of a home with a lot of creative history within its walls. The villa was initially designed by renowned modernist architecture and design master Eileen Gray (1878-1976), and the late British painter Graham Sutherland resided there between 1955 and 1979. Located on the side of a Menton hill, the villa laps up sea views from its privileged exposure, thriving in its historical significance.
Inside Tempe à Pailla by Eileen Gray
Tempe à Pailla is the second property designed by Irish architect and designer Gray, after the much better-known Villa E-1027 in Roquebrune Cap Martin, which she used as a personal retreat. It was in 1970 that Sutherland decided to add an extension with a sweeping white façade, which inspired a renaming of the property to ‘La Villa Blanche’. Boasting eight bedrooms and five bathrooms, the villa is a testament to progressive 20th-century architecture and stays in tune with key elements of the modernist movement, such as featuring a roof terrace, an open plan design, strip windows and free façades.
The home offers crisp lines, open-plan living, and large glass panelling to filter in natural light. Visitors pass through the garden, exterior staircase and terrace, before entering via the living room. This branches off into a dining room, two bedrooms, a bathroom and a kitchen. The last faces south across the cascading Mediterranean views. Crafted from functional materials, including concrete and brick, the villa still contains original fittings designed by Gray.
The villa is a welcome escape from the urban bustle of Menton, known as the ‘city of lemons’ for its tradition in the fruit’s cultivation. The town offers a gentle microclimate and sandy beaches, while also being a stone's throw away from Nice, Monaco and the Italian border.
Tempe à Pailla is currently on the market through Engel & Voelkers
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