Architecture: Julien Recours, hunter of remains

In the middle of the countryside, in a field invaded by brambles and carcasses, strange geometric elements deteriorated by time lie on the ground. The photo of this distressing scene, presented in the foreword to the catalog of works by Julien Recours, does not show a film set; but the abandoned pieces of a plastic house dating from 1971, as it was found near Toulouse in 2016 on the land of a private individual. This image is revealing of the architectural heritage rescue mission that Julien Recours took on about ten years ago.

If the destiny of this house baptized 12E, for twelve elements, seems rather to end up in the dumpster than with a collector, its rarity nevertheless attracts covetousness today. The discovery of these symbolic habitats of a futuristic and visionary utopia is for Julien Recours the most exhilarating and thrilling part of his job as an investigator-collector. His research led him to make his finest finds in squats, construction dumps, in a farmer’s garage or even in the middle of a car graveyard.

An archaeologist of the future

In Juranville, in the Loiret, huge hangars house all the nuggets of this atypical enthusiast, as well as his restoration workshops. Its collection includes the most significant and emblematic works. Among them, a “Bubble house” with six 36 m hulls² created by Jean-Benjamin Maneval, which served as a reception point for the Prisunic stores in 1967; “Cells 2002” produced by Algeco in 1969 for property developers, hexacube mobile homes created in 1971 for a holiday center in Port Leucate. Or even more confidential pieces such as a “Savoie” sanitary block designed for the resort of Les Arcs in 1975, a rare “Coquille” desk dating from 1968 designed for the founder of Cacharel, elements of the “Tournesol” swimming pool, an emblematic work of the 1,000 swimming pools plan launched in France by the State in 1969 and of course its 12th house which requires major restoration work. Airbus signs and small “Sinclair” vehicles made in 1985 for London businessmen also inhabit the premises.

For the National Architecture Days which will take place from October 14 to 16, Julien Recours opens the doors of its 4,000 m² hangars to the public with a course of light architectures designed for leisure. The opportunity to dive into the heart of a unique setting oscillating between nostalgia and science fiction.

This lifelong bargain hunter, follower of the philosophy of the cocoon and the cabin, specializes in collectible architecture after an advertisement published on Le Bon coin in 2014. There he unearths his first Tétrodon: a transportable housing module baptized early 1970s “the Rolls Royce of mobile homes”. Eight years ago, this type of remains, in a pitiful state moreover, only excited a handful of experienced and rare enthusiasts. Nothing suggests this renewed interest, nor that prices will soar. “The transport and the renovation cost me more than the Tetrodon itself! » laughs Julien Recours. But the bet turns out to be a winner since this Tetrodon is now worth ten times more than its initial purchase price.

This modular construction imagined by the AUA architectural firm has become an emblematic work, as much for its highly connoted aesthetics as for its functionality and modularity. Equipped with modern comfort with a kitchenette and bathroom, its surface can be increased by adding different modules. The thousand copies manufactured at the time were installed for a time at Sonacotra in Fos-sur-Mer and in a holiday village in Lège-Cap-Ferret, before being the subject of a safeguard plan in 2012. with the Heritage of the XX label^e century. For Julien Recours, who defines himself as an archaeologist of the future, the official recognition of these architectural pieces is particularly stimulating. “There are still many things to discover and other eras to explore! »

Although highly sought after today, these nomadic micro-architectures, futuristic mobile homes, neo-space capsules or autonomous housing units designed between the 1960s and 1970s nevertheless had a stealthy and mixed glory. In the midst of the glorious thirties, a whole young generation of creators dream of the 21st^e century. Architecture and design are fields of experimentation, their research on prefabrication, the possibilities offered by synthetic materials such as plastic give birth to a new type of non-conformist dwelling. They imagine them being able to grow, combine, plug. These innovative proposals presented for the first time at the 1956 Household Arts Fair aroused curiosity but did not experience the expected commercial success.

For Stéphanie Quantin, curator of the modern and contemporary architecture gallery at the Cité de l’architecture et du patrimoine, this movement, although visionary, remains a niche: “These microhabitats are experimental projects, they are mostly prototypes. This is not a fundamental movement in the history of architecture of the 1960s and 1970s, a period more marked by concrete constructions. Yet these little houses and these plastic bubbles are very present in the collective imagination, their pop and futuristic shapes are attractive. A model like the Tétrodon was, for example, widely relayed by the mainstream media of the time, such as the magazine ‘Elle’ or ‘Paris Match’. »

What is revolutionary with these small transportable habitats is that there is no need for foundations, they can be installed and transported anywhere.

Julien Remedies

While many concepts have therefore remained embryonic, some projects have seen the light of day thanks to the development of the leisure policy and paid holidays. Holiday centers are springing up all over France and the coast must be developed to accommodate holidaymakers. “These needs are in line with this light and modular architecture which can be adapted to the size of the families”, says Stephanie Quantin. The architects have carte blanche to imagine light and nomadic habitats with minimal and rapid assembly. “What is revolutionary with these small transportable habitats is that there is no longer any connection to the ground, no need for foundations, they can be installed and transported anywhere. They are also organic, enveloping, ergonomic, designed on a human scale. »

This movement advocating nomadism, the aspiration to live in small spaces with all the necessary comforts and an outdoor lifestyle resonates particularly with the craze for tiny houses today. Where the 1960s and 70s praised plastic and voluptuous forms with small habitats thought of as consumer goods, tiny houses put wood, sobriety and durability in the spotlight, the environmental question being fifty years later fortunately passed by.

The oil crisis of 1973 put a brake on this period of privileged creative freedom, of which plastic was the star material. Few models were mass-produced for sale, which is what makes them so attractive and rare today. For Julien Recours, “the strength of these utopian micro-architectures is to be at the border of architecture, design and sculpture”. They are also considered as works in their own right, find a place with contemporary art collectors, in sculpture gardens, fairs and major cultural events. Over the past five years, a few merchants specializing in XX^e century contributed by valuing these pieces, to create a market. Jean-Benjamin Maneval’s iconic Bulle house was exhibited at international fairs such as Design Miami/Basel and Fiac, while in 2018, Louis Vuitton presented hexacubes by Georges Candilis during Milan design week. This work of highlighting then makes it possible to build the beginnings of a coast.

For Julien Recours, “it’s still the genesis of a market in the making”. Nevertheless, prices are already relatively high: a Bulle house recently sold for 250,000 euros on the American site 1stDibs. To afford the most accessible room, an Algeco cell of 9 ^m2, it takes between 25,000 and 45,000 euros. The commercial fiasco of the time, the historical storytelling, the rarity of the models, in particular due to their poor state of preservation and the power of their vintage aesthetics are all ingredients promising these architectural pieces a bright future on the market. art.

Exhibition “It was tomorrow, visions of holiday architecture”, until October 16, on weekends or by appointment outside these dates. Instagram account @julienrecours www.recoursexploration.com