1920s Modernist Villa on the French Riviera Near Cannes
Set on the famous red rocks of the Esterel, the iconic waterfront property was built in 1925 by the visionary American architect Barry Dierks with a landscape designed by his partner, Eric Sawyer.
Villa Le Trident combines a modernist style with Mediterranean, Moorish, and classical architecture, representing a platonic ideal of the couple’s vision for French Riviera living.
Known as the men who made the French Riviera chic, the couple achieved a cult status as tastemakers to the international elite through their close relationships with celebrities, industrialists, and royalty who frequented the Cote d’Azur and visited them at Le Trident.
They dined with Prince George, son of King George V, partied with Hemingway and Valentino, and hosted famous guests at Le Trident, like the Picassos, Wallis Simpson and Prince Edward, English playwright Noel Coward, and the writer Somerset Maugham, who gave the couple their first commission on his villa, La Mauresque.
Countless commissions followed and the couple would go on to build or renovate over 100 houses on the Cote d’Azur, including Manoir Eden Roc for the Marquess of Cholmondeley and the spectacular Château de l’Horizon for the American actress Maxine Elliott.
An embodiment of the Roaring Twenties, Villa Le Trident has been updated for modern standards of luxury in the 2020s following a sleek renovation by Stuttgart-based architecture firm 4a, featuring suspended furniture and fittings, and smart white curtains throughout the 4305 sq ft villa.
The 6 bedroom, 4-bath property offers generous living spaces that exude luxury and comfort, opening out onto the carefully curated outdoor spaces offering sea views towards Corsica, with terraces, a swimming pool, and landscaped grounds leading down to a private beach.
Set on 1.51 acres in the village of Théoule-sur-Mer on the peninsula of Pointe de l'Esquillon, this waterfront property is just a 25-minute drive from Cannes.
Photography by 3MILLE Laurent Saint Jean.
All photos belong to the listing agency.