In the autumn of 1956, the well-known French art dealer Louis Carré and his wife contracted Finnish modernist architect Alvar Aalto to build them a villa of the highest artistic quality and material. The villa would be built on a large plot of land that Carré purchased near the scenic French village of Bazoches-sur-Guyonne, just an hour west of Paris. In addition to the architecture, Aalto and his wife, Elissa, furnished the home with exclusive, made-to-measure, custom pieces of furniture and thoughtfully landscaped the surroundings. Once completed, it was nothing short of a modernist masterpiece.

In 2020, Maison Louis Carré is preserved as a museum and, amazingly, is back open for business. The museum will host a new exhibit of contemporary Finnish artwork, Call to the Wild (L’Appel de la Nature), which is on view from June 20 through November 29, 2020. Masks, of course, are compulsory and no more than eight may visit at a time.

The exhibit initiates a personalized dialogue between three contemporary Finnish artists and Maison Louis Carré’s restrained, midcentury interiors. Sculptural works by glass artist Laura Laine, woven pieces from textile designer Kustaa Saksi, and ceramic sculptures from sculptor and ceramicist Kim Simonsson are all seamlessly integrated into the stunning spaces. Call to the Wild is curated by Lise Coirier, director of the Spazio Nobile Gallery, Brussels; and Kati Laakso, director of the Finnish Cultural Institute for the Benelux.

Maison Louis Carré is set under an immense lean-to roof made of Blue Normandy slate meant to echo the surrounding landscape, with interiors that feature expansive white gallery walls designed to display pieces from Carré’s extensive collection. Highlights of the home include its soaring architectural entry with a free-form, wood-paneled ceiling that was built in situ by Finnish carpenters, who also crafted an expansive wood-paneled ceiling in the living room and a Finnish sauna in the principal bedroom suite. Keep scrolling for more pictures of this one-of-a-kind house.

The white gallery walls and architectural ceilings were designed to beautifully display works of art in a museum-like setting. The descent into the living room is said to be representative of Aalto’s humanist approach to architecture.

Call To The Wild /L’Appel de la Nature is on view at Maison Louis Carré, 2 Chemin du Saint-Sacrement, 78490 Bazoches-sur-Guyonne, France, through November 29, 2020. You can book a reservation to visit here.

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Alvar Aalto’s Celebrated Maison Louis Carré Reopens to the Public