As a culmination of Le Corbusier’s Five Points of Architecture manifesto, the Villa Savoye is an exemplar of the International style, the precursor to modern architecture. Built after the 1918 flu pandemic, the villa’s design reflects the challenges society faced in the 1920s and how the architect addressed them by developing a new type of architecture that harnesses the sun, air, and the outdoors.

Designed by Le Corbusier in 1928, the Savoyes moved into their country residence in Poissy after a long construction period in 1931. Everything was going well with the family until the leaks came dripping from the roof.