General Information

Name: Villa Schwob, named after the original owner, Anatole Schwob. Later called the Villa Turque because of its Turkish-like attributes. 

Location: La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzlerland. It is the third largest french speaking city in Switzerland, and the birthplace of Le Corbusier. 

Date of Construction: 1916

Purpose and Function: Schwob, a rich, bourgeois owner of a watchmaking company, commissioned Le Corbusier to design a villa, or a large residential estate, to match his social and economic status. As a residence, the home provided all of the necessary features for a family of that status--open spaces for entertaining, private rooms, servants quarters, and even a roof garden. The home was under domestic use until 1986, when it fell vacant and Ebel, a watchmaking company, bought it to use as a "living center", where it has multi-functional purposes within the company. The spaces are now used for conferences, meeting spaces, or a place to bring important visitors and clients [3].