Villa Savoye
2025
mediation
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mediation *
An architectural and olfactory walk that explores the presence of nature in the Villa Savoye and its architecture through the lens of smell, in relation to the works in the Natures intérieures exhibition. Carole Calvez proposes bringing the architecture and the works to life through scent: a material for seeing, imagining, and feeling. In this way, the architectural principles dear to Le Corbusier become perceptible through an olfactory tour.
Context : Natures intérieures temporary exhibition at the Villa Savoye in Poissy featuring works from the Centre national des arts plastiques (Cnap)
Contribution of : Céline Saraiva (curator in charge of the design and decorative arts collection at Cnap and curator of the exhibition)
The Villa Savoye at the end of the day, north facade. Credits : Céline Clanet / Centre des monuments nationaux - Fondation Le Corbusier - ADAGP.
Olivier Gagnère, Untitled, 1983. Credits : Benjamin Gavaudo / CMN
Mathieu Lehanneur, Andrea, 2009. Credits : Benjamin Gavaudo / CMN
Creation of bespoke scents for a multisensory tour of the Villa Savoye, in dialogue with the exhibited artworks.
In the living room, Carole Calvez focuses on conveying the effect of the famous ribbon windows, true apertures opening onto the landscape. A "stretched" scent evokes the linearity of these openings and their horizontal cut in the facade. Notes of petitgrain citrus capture the sunlight streaming through the glass, while a dry wood scent suggests the proximity of the surrounding wooded edge. The aldehydes, in turn, recreate the impression of volume and metallic clarity that is characteristic of modernist architecture. This sensory dialogue continues with the citron tree wood and the aluminum of Olivier Gagnère's coffee table.
In the kitchen, Carole Calvez creates a highly ozonic scent that embodies the immaculate whiteness of the room, the pure air, the abundant light, and the nature brought indoors — elements all linked to the "purification" principle so dear to Le Corbusier. A hint of fennel adds a whisper of a past life. In resonance with this, Andrea, Living Air Purifier by Mathieu Lehanneur, placed in the room, serves as a poetic extension of this quest for purity and connection with the living, conceived and crafted by Carole Calvez for Natures intérieures.
In the bathroom, the morning dew is translated into a fresh, aqueous scent, fruity with water, translucent floral notes, and a gentle sweetness. In the master bedroom, a warm, enveloping scent made from sandalwood and green stem notes evokes comfort.