Norman Foster’s Former French Riviera Retreat Hits the Market
The seven-level Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat waterfront villa was built between 1999 and 2002 and served as the personal retreat of the world-renowned architect and his family for several years
The French Riviera home that was once the personal retreat of world-renowned architect Norman Foster has hit the market with an asking price of $33.84 million. Foster, who designed the waterfront villa known as La Voile in the late 1990s and oversaw its construction between 1999 and 2002, enjoyed the property for several years after its completion before listing it for sale.
Local regulations prevented Foster from knocking down the original structure, initially built in the 1950s, so he began planning an extensive renovation, which required staying within the original framework. His vision produced an iconic, upside-down-styled steel and glass structure with a retractable sail-like canopy, and a massive, site-specific MudWork fresco by Richard Long on the rear interior wall. A dramatic four-story atrium with floor-to-ceiling windows welcomes in natural light, making the home feel like a natural extension of the terrain as opposed to a standout structure.
On the rooftop, additional terraces with unobstructed views of the Mediterranean and a pool offer serene settings to unwind, while a separate apartment and garage facilities accommodate additional guests and storage without interrupting the contemporary-meets-coastal design.
Norman initially sold the home to Kirsti Paakkanen, the late CEO of Marimekko, because his family was growing and needed more space. Paakkanen held onto the property for 20 years until her death, in 2021, and her estate is now selling it through Savills French Riviera.