Maison de Verre: sections through an in-vitro conception

This paper proposes a revised interpretation of the Maison de Verre suggested by the program for the building, which incorporates both a house and a gynaecological practice. The argument makes a gendered reading of the house, building an analogy between the body of the woman who seeks to be cured by the gynaecologist and the 'organism' of the city which requires 'purging' by the actions of the architect. In the role of scientist eradicating 19th century decay, dirt and congestion from the city, the architect replaces the 'contaminated' urban tissue with clean, white, bright space. The essay takes a new look at the meaning of technology in modern architecture. It also raises questions about our assumptions concerning the authorship of buildings and how they are produced. The conclusion is not unique to this house, but sheds light on the way in which the practices of the architect in the era of early modernism were regarded as redemptive.