Paris: Around Montsouris Park

Set within Paris’s 14th district, this architecture tour circles Montsouris Park—designed by Jean-Charles Adolphe Alphand—to explore the remarkable cluster of modernist artists’ studio-houses built during the 1920s. Originally opened in the late 19th century to help structure and pacify the former village of Montrouge, the park became a key element of the Haussmannian urban plan. By the 1920s, affordable rents, spacious plots, and flexible planning rules drew artists from Montparnasse to the area. Georges Braque worked here, while Amédée Ozenfant commissioned his friend Le Corbusier to design his studio-residence. Nearby, Auguste Perret advanced his ideas on reinforced concrete, and André Lurçat erected some of his most significant early works, transforming the district into a living laboratory of modern architecture.

Today, Montsouris Park remains one of Paris’s largest and most beloved green spaces, offering English-style landscapes, a tranquil lake, and tree-lined paths that shift with the seasons. The surrounding cobblestone streets still reveal the area’s artistic legacy: the Ozenfant House at 53 rue de Reille, Le Corbusier’s 1923 studio-residence; André Lurçat’s striking Guggenbühl mansion on Rue Nansouty, a showcase of modernist geometry; and, across Boulevard Jourdan, the International University City, a vibrant educational hub hosting students from around the world. Together, these sites form a rich architectural ensemble where natural beauty, artistic history, and modernist innovation converge.