Les Caryatides de Guyancourt: A Photo Essay on a Postmodernist Housing Complex in Suburban Paris
Designboom has published a photo essay highlighting Les Caryatides, a postmodern housing development situated in Guyancourt, southwest of Paris, which was crafted by architect Manuel Núñez Yanowsky in 1992. This unique complex comprises two identical apartment buildings, upheld by 18 massive replicas of the Venus de Milo that function as structural supports. Known as Venus 18, it is positioned at the crossroads of Andrea Palladio and Frank Lloyd Wright streets within the Villaroy district of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, a site developed during the 1970s. Featuring 110 apartments, it stands in stark contrast to previous 'grands ensembles' by incorporating ornamentation and irony. Yanowsky, who previously worked with Ricardo Bofill's Taller de Arquitectura, also designed the Arènes de Picasso. Les Caryatides has become a cult favorite among architecture aficionados.
Key facts
- Les Caryatides is a housing complex in Guyancourt, France, designed by Manuel Núñez Yanowsky in 1992.
- The complex consists of two identical apartment blocks supported by 18 colossal replicas of the Venus de Milo.
- The building is also called Venus 18 by the architect.
- Yanowsky was an original team member of Ricardo Bofill's Taller de Arquitectura in the early 1960s.
- The complex is located in the Villaroy district of Guyancourt, part of the new town of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines.
- The project has 110 apartments and is part of the 'villes nouvelles' initiative around Paris.
- Yanowsky also designed Les Arènes de Picasso in Noisy-le-Grand (1980–1984), nicknamed 'le Camembert'.
- The photo essay was published by designboom and is part of its 'Modes of Habitation' chapter.
Entities
Artists
- Manuel Núñez Yanowsky
- Ricardo Bofill
- Christian de Portzamparc
- Jean Nouvel
- Philip Jodidio
Institutions
- Taller de Arquitectura
- designboom
Locations
- Guyancourt
- France
- Paris
- Barcelona
- Noisy-le-Grand
- Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines
- Île-de-France