Maison Louis Carré, an architect's house to visit in Yvelines

If you're looking for beautiful buildings in the "architect-designed homes" category, there's more than just the Villa Savoye in the Yvelines. In addition to Le Corbusier's unmissable creations - including the Maison la Roche in the 16th arrondissement, his apartment and the Maison du Brésil at the Cité Universitaire - there are numerous architect-designed houses in the Paris region. In the Yvelines, head for Bazoches-sur-Guyonne to visit the Maison Louis Carré, designed byarchitect Alvar Aalto in the 1950s.

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Louis Carré, a 20th-century lawyer and antiques dealer, contacts Alvar Aalto with a view to building his own home. A great friend of Jean Monnet (one of the founders of the European Union), Louis Carré acquired land in Bazoches-sur-Guyonne, in the Yvelines, not far from Monnet's estate. Carré quickly became a great friend of Aalto, whom he chose as the architect for his future home, located on the edge of the Rambouillet forest.

With a 3-hectare garden, swimming pool and large pavilion, the house occupies 450 m² and construction began in 1957. In 1959, Louis Carré and his family moved in: in 1996, many years after Louis Carré's death, the house and garden were listed as a Monument Historique.

The site is now open to visitors from March to November, on weekends only (Saturdays and Sundays, 2pm to 6pm), with guided tours every hour. Reservations are required to visit the Maison louis Carré. Admission is €20 per person (full price), €12 for groups (minimum 10 people) and €7 for concessions. Admission is free for children under 12. Guided tours in English are also available.

Alvar Aalto's renowned works include the Viipuri Library in Russia, the Villa Mairea, the Maison de la Culture in Helsinki... In the Île-de-France region, the Maison Louis Carré is one of the architect's must-see projects.