Villa Zilveli

Villa Zilveli sits on the edge of the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, distinguished by its stark white, streamline curves and the rows of porthole windows lining its facade. Architect Jean Welz designed this house in nineteen thirty-three, intending it to hang off the hillside like a ship’s bridge. It defied local building codes of the time, leading to a long legal battle with the city. Welz spent his own money to finish the project, only to abandon the house when he moved to South Africa.