As we've mentioned before, Irish designer Eileen Gray was undoubtedly one of the most influential, and most overlooked, designers of the 20th century. However, a new Kickstarter campaign aims to put that right once and for all. The campaign is seeking funds to help renovate Gray's seminal house, E-1027, for the production of a feature film about the architect.
Read more about the film, and find out who is slated to play Gray, after the break...
A joint Irish-Belgian production, the film, entitled 'The Price of Desire', will star Winona Ryder as Gray while swiss-born Vincent Pérez will play the film's nefarious Le Corbusier. The production will be shot on-site at E-1027 in May. The film will centre around Gray's influence on modernism, as well as the incredibly abrasive relationship between her and Corbusier, which resulted in her being almost entirely erased from architectural history.
E-1027 is considered by many as one of the first truly modernist houses ever built, and was at the crux of the friction between Corbusier and Gray. Many saw Corbusier as jealous of the softened modernism that subverted his idea of a machine for living. The tension came to a head when Corbusier covered the walls with his own murals, an act that Gray described as vandalism. The Swiss architect went even further, publishing pictures of the murals and neglecting to credit the house to Gray.
The funding is being sought to boost the budget of the art department, who desires to help permanently renovate the house, which they will use for the shoot and open to the public afterwards.
If you would like to contribute to this worthy cause, the Kickstarter page can be found here. Check out our suggestions on other architectural films which might tickle your fancy here.