Palais Bulles
Dior

Commissioned by the French industrialist Pierre Bernard in the mid-70s, the house remained unfinished up until his death in 1992, when the project passed into the hands of its current owner, Pierre Cardin. A disciple of Jean Prouvé, architect Antti Lovag developed over time his theory of ‘habitology’ linked to spherical dwellings and their harmony with the human morphology, with other notable ‘bubble house’ projects including the heritage-listed Maison Gaudet.

None, however, are quite as resplendent as the Palais Bulles, with its radial marble inlaid floors forming a dazzling runway for Raf Simons’ airy silhouettes and brocade booties, watched by an audience sat on round Perspex stools topped with veined black marble.