Signs of Memory: Le Corbusier’s Drawings at Villa E.1027

Abstract

Design, beauty, the ethical question, aesthetics: all these terms are present in the story of Le Corbusier's drawings on the walls of Eileen Gray's villa E1027. Seven drawings were painted by Le Corbusier on the interior and exterior walls without her knowledge. They are drawings of considerable size and in very vivid colours and the author is undoubtedly one of the people who changed the culture of the 20th century. On the other hand, Gray's villa is also considered today one of the masterpieces of modern architecture: it is essential in its lines and colours and every detail has been carefully thought out and designed. The situation that arose with the inclusion of Le Corbusier's wall paintings poses many questions for those involved in Restoration. According to some lines of thought every intervention is a trace and as such it has its own meaning it tells a piece of history and as such it deserves to be preserved. In this specific case, however, Le Corbusier's brightly coloured drawings completely change the perception of the villa's spaces. In this case the preservation of a trace, no matter how significant it may be, has the power to change and cause the loss of the basic idea of this villa: preservation causes loss. This story therefore brings an important reflection on the role of conservation, on the ethics of restoration and also on the power that a drawing on a wall can have.