Architect Patrick Cavenel wasn’t afraid to go against the grain when designing his angular postmodern masterpiece, Villa Galaxie, in Nice.
The geometric French Riviera home was designed in 1980 and constructed on a prime piece of land in Nice’s Rimiez enclave, with panoramic views over the city and the Baie des Anges. Rather than modestly blending with the landscape, the building cuts a stark profile, comprising an assembly of geometric shapes. Most notable is the monumental cube that bulges above the building’s entrance, tipped to one side as a nod to Claude Parent’s 1965 marvel, Maison Drusch.
The three-bedroom Côte d’Azur property features a salmon-hued concrete skin and is designed according to a honeycomb grid, with hexagonal modules making up the interior—each with its own function and role. They include a dining room, living room with a conversation pit style fireplace, a winter garden, and a kitchen with a central island, pizza oven, dining area, and utility room. The primary suite is tucked inside a right angle, breaking form from the rest of the house. It includes a dressing room and a spacious bathroom illuminated by stained glass windows created by master glassmaker Alain Peinado.
Villa Galaxie sits on a landscaped 2,150 sqm plot and includes a triple garage, a pétanque court, and a stone outbuilding converted into a workshop. Cavenel’s original design included a swimming pool, but it was never realised. The French property is for sale via L’exploreur for €1.68m and offers a renovation opportunity for fans of postmodernist architecture.
