When you hear the name Le Corbusier—the master designer and pioneer of the modern movement—chances are a boiler room is not the first thing that will come to mind. Yet, a tiny structure hidden near France's border with Luxembourg offers the opportunity to own a unique piece of architectural history. Originally built for one of Le Corbusier's famous "Unité d'habitation" housing projects, the former utility building was converted into a quirky weekend retreat years ago, and now it's up for sale.

Unité d'habitation of Briey" public housing project. The structure was decommissioned and abandoned when a new boiler room was built inside the apartment building years later.
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Efforts to rebuild France after WWII provided Le Corbusier with the opportunity to realize his long-held ideas for communal public housing. Also known as his "Radiant City" designs, the Brutalist structures employed a high-rise concrete framework into which various apartment floor plans could be modularly arranged.

The first and most famous of the projects was built in Marseille, in the south of France, with others locations following throughout the 1950s and 60s. The converted boiler room sits on the site of the Le Corbusier's “Radiant City” in Briey, a small and charming town located a few hours west of Paris and bordered by thick forests.

Dense greenery surrounding the main apartment building provided an easy way for Le Corbusier to hide the boiler in a separate structure across the street. Later decommissioned and sold along with a .35-acre parcel of land, the original double-height boiler room was divided into two levels, with an expansive ground floor workspace and upstairs living area. The current owners, unhindered by load-bearing walls, created an open and multi-functional floor plan. Keep scrolling to see more of the interior of the property, which was recently listed for approximately $450,000.

The property is currently listed for 413,000 € (approximately $451,000) by Patrice Besse Castles and Mansions of France.

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