A mineral fortress, the Villa Arson today blends contemporary art, architecture and garden design.
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Former home of the Counts of Saint-Joseph, the Villa Arson now houses the Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Art, a Centre National d'Art Contemporain, artist residencies and a specialized library.
The villa owes its name to Pierre-Joseph Arson, who acquired the villa and the adjoining 6-hectare agricultural estate in the early 19th century.
An aesthete, he set about enriching the Italian-inspired pleasure garden by planting new trees, which can still be seen today.
Transformed into a hotel from 1884 onwards, and then into a clinic, the villa was listed as a Historical Monument in 1943. It was sold to the French government in 1965 in response to André Malraux's wish to create an international art school.
At the entrance to the establishment, a garden stands out for its originality: on a grassy area are scattered paved circles encircling trees from the five continents.
While the only features left from the original period are the rows of pine and cypress trees, the contemporary era is not short of new discoveries. Works of art are integrated into the vegetation, and there are hanging gardens covering 4,500 m², with roof terraces designed by architect Michel Marot, planted mainly with Mediterranean vegetation.
Open-air patios punctuate the interior of the building with greenery, creating a permanent and original "inside-outside" impression.
The villa owes its name to Pierre-Joseph Arson, who acquired the villa and the adjoining 6-hectare agricultural estate in the early 19th century.
An aesthete, he set about enriching the Italian-inspired pleasure garden by planting new trees, which can still be seen today.
Transformed into a hotel from 1884 onwards, and then into a clinic, the villa was listed as a Historical Monument in 1943. It was sold to the French government in 1965 in response to André Malraux's wish to create an international art school.
At the entrance to the establishment, a garden stands out for its originality: on a grassy area are scattered paved circles encircling trees from the five continents.
While the only features left from the original period are the rows of pine and cypress trees, the contemporary era is not short of new discoveries. Works of art are integrated into the vegetation, and there are hanging gardens covering 4,500 m², with roof terraces designed by architect Michel Marot, planted mainly with Mediterranean vegetation.
Open-air patios punctuate the interior of the building with greenery, creating a permanent and original "inside-outside" impression.
Former home of the Counts of Saint-Joseph, the Villa Arson now houses the Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Art, a Centre National d'Art Contemporain, artist residencies and a specialized library.
The villa owes its name to Pierre-Joseph Arson, who acquired the villa and the adjoining 6-hectare agricultural estate in the early 19th century.
An aesthete, he set about enriching the Italian-inspired pleasure garden by planting new trees, which can still be seen today.
Transformed into a...
The villa owes its name to Pierre-Joseph Arson, who acquired the villa and the adjoining 6-hectare agricultural estate in the early 19th century.
An aesthete, he set about enriching the Italian-inspired pleasure garden by planting new trees, which can still be seen today.
Transformed into a...
