History of the house

At the outset : the Eternit® roof (fiber cement shingles) imparted a light and airy apparence to the house

1904 - 1994

1904 – 1906

Charles-Edouard Jeanneret is a student of Charles L’Eplattenier at the Ecole d’Arts appliqués (Applied Arts School) in his home town, La Chaux-de-Fonds (Switzerland).

Construction of the Villa Fallet under the supervision of the architect René Chapallaz.

1907 – 1908

Travels in Italy and Eastern Europe. Projects: Villa Stotzer and Villa Jaquemet in collaboration with René Chapallaz.

1908 – 1911

Internships with the brothers Perret (Paris) and Peter Behrens (Berlin); Jeanneret has opportunities to meet Peter Behrens, Walter Gropius, Mies Van der Rohe, Adolf Loos.

1911

Travels in the Middle East: Jeannerets famous “Journey to the East”.

1912

Charles-Edouard Jeanneret opens his own architecture bureau; building of the Maison blanche.

1919

The family Jeanneret leave the house, which is sold. In the course of the century it has many owners. The essential architecture is preserved, but during the 1940s the Eternit® roof (fiber cement shingles) is replaced by tiles; the garden and the garden house are substantially altered.

1979

The Maison blanche is classified as a historic monument by the Canton of Neuchâtel.

1994

Restoration of the exterior: the Swiss Confederation recognizes the building as a work of national interest.

In the 1940s, the fiber-cement shingles were replaced by tiles, that remained until 2004

2000 and later...

2000

Creation of the Association Maison blanche. Purchase of the building, search for funds for its restoration.

2003

Publication of the preparatory study for its restoration.

2004

Work begins.

2005

Inauguration of the restored Maison blanche.

2006

Mrs. Martine Voumard, as a member of the Executive commitee of the Association Maison blanche, earns the Heritage Award from the Foundation and Association for Western Swiss cultural Heritage : an award for natural and legal persons who devote themselves selflessly to the heritage conservation of an aspect of Western Switzerlands cultural heritage. 

2007

Recovering and re-purchasing by the Association Maison blanche of the piano Charles-Edouard Jeanneret designed and ordered (1914) for his mother from the Company Ibach (Germany).

Publication in three versions (French, English and German) of the book Charles-Edouard Jeanneret / Le Corbusier: Maison blanche, History and restoration of the villa Jeanneret-Perret, 1912-2005 / ed. by Klaus Spechtenhauser and Arthur Rüegg.

2008

The Association Maison blanche is nominated for the Heritage Conservation Prize for the careful restoration and the opening to the public of the first work of Charles-Edouard Jeanneret, future Le Corbusier.

2010

La Chaux-de-Fonds – Chandigarh – Brasilia, International symposium organised by the Commitee of the Association Maison blanche and the Art history department of the University of Lausanne

2012

Celebrations around the Centenary of the Maison blanche and the 125th birthday of Le Corbusier

2015

The Association Maison blanche celebrates its 15th anniversary.

2017

The Association Maison blanche receives the Doron Prize for reviving a cultural landmark of national importance.

2018

Second phase of curatorial work.

2019

Certification of Le Corbusier Destinations: Architectural Promenades as a Cultural Route by the Council of Europe. The Villa Jeanneret-Perret, also called “Maison blanche” is a step of this Cultural Route.

2020

20th anniversary of the Association Maison blanche.