Maison Cook

Commissioned in 1926 by American journalist William Cook and his French wife Jeanne, Maison Cook (completed in 1927) is a pioneering work of modernist architecture designed by Le Corbusier and his cousin Pierre Jeanneret. Located at 6 rue Denfert-Rochereau in Boulogne-Billancourt, France, it is celebrated as one of the first buildings to fully implement Le Corbusier's Five Points of Modern Architecture: pilotis (elevating the structure), a free plan, free façade, ribbon windows, and a roof garden.

The house inverts traditional spatial hierarchies: private bedrooms and a bathroom occupy the first floor, while the second floor hosts a double-height living and dining area with a central fireplace. A library and terrace on the third floor emphasize the connection to nature. Constructed in reinforced concrete with steel and glass elements, the design employs a modular system (tracé régulateur) to harmonize proportions. Notable features include built-in concrete shelving, minimalist lighting (bare bulbs embedded in walls), and a curved staircase.

Originally built with an open ground floor beneath pilotis, the space was later partially enclosed for additional rooms. The house underwent restorations in the 1960s and 2003–2004, with facades and roofs protected as historical monuments since 1972. It stands as testimony to Le Corbusier’s intensive architectural experimentation of the 1920s.

Today, Maison Cook remains a private residence, its interior closed to the public — yet it endures as a critical reference for modernist design, influencing later icons like Villa Savoye.