"Just southwest of Paris, at the intersection of Andrea Palladio and Frank Lloyd Wright streets in the suburb of Guyancourt, 18 colossal female figures stand together to support one of the most surreal manifestations of postmodernist architecture. Together, the monumental replicas of the Venus de Milo compose Les Caryatides, two identical apartment blocks standing across from each other, performing their own kind of concrete theater in full view of the public."
"More than three decades after its construction, Les Caryatides de Guyancourt remains legendary to some, absurd to others, but undeniably unforgettable. For its admirers, the project rethinks classical forms and motifs. For its critics, it's kitsch masquerading as grandeur, a surreal eyesore amid the suburban landscape. As with much of Yanowsky's work, this project demands attention. The architect himself calls the building Venus 18, a title that deepens the intrigue."
Les Caryatides stands southwest of Paris in Guyancourt and features 18 colossal female figures modeled after the Venus de Milo. The figures support two identical apartment blocks that face each other, creating a theatrical, concrete facade that blends classical form with postmodern irony. The project was completed in 1992 by architect Manuel Núñez Yanowsky, an early member of Ricardo Bofill's Taller de Arquitectura, who later designed notable suburban works such as the Arènes de Picasso in Noisy-le-Grand. The development polarizes opinion as visionary reinterpretation of classical motifs or as kitsch; Yanowsky labels the complex Venus 18, inviting playful ambiguity.
Read at designboom | architecture & design magazine
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