Jean Welz
Maison Zilveli (1933), Paris, France
A talk by Peter Wyeth
23rd May 2023, 1830hrs
At Grimshaw: 57 Clerkenwell Road, London, EC1M 5NG
In person only. We will record the event for our website
Born in Vienna, Jean Welz (1900-75) moved to Paris in 1925 and worked with Adolf Loos on the Tzara House, before designing a small number of houses, and a gravestone for Karl Marx’s daughter. He left for South Africa in 1936 and became a noted artist there, with his earlier architectural career fading into obscurity.
This talk will present a unique vision of the avant-garde Paris in the interwar years, and explore the dialogue between the work of Welz and two giants of early Modern Movement architecture - Le Corbusier and Loos.
Peter Wyeth will argue that 'Jean Welz is perhaps the greatest unknown architect of the 20th century, designer of 'The most avant-garde house in Paris' (Tim Benton), who brought Vienna to Paris, and set Adolf Loos against Le Corbusier.'
Maison Zilveli
Peter Wyeth is a filmmaker whose work includes 12 Views of Kensal House. He is the author of The Lost Architecture of Jean Welz.