The narrative capacity of spaces for living. Le Corbusier’s appartement-atelier in Paris

The restoration of the interior spaces of a house and their transformation into a museum allows us to observe themes related to the culture of living and to study the relationships between society, people, objects and spaces. Although rooted in Western culture, opening interiors to the public has only gained attention from international bodies and institutions, such as ICOM, and national bodies, such as the French Ministère de la Culture, in the last two decades. This has contributed to establishing the scientific foundations for this topic, gaining increasing interest. Thus, the institutionalisation of the domestic space allows the monument to be reused and experienced through dialogue with the public. Conserving the fragility of modern interiors seems like an impossible challenge. However, the selected case study takes exciting reflections regarding protecting, restoring, and conserving the material and immaterial values that its opening to the public has allowed the contemporary world to learn. As a space intended for daily life, the cultural value of Le Corbusier’s appartement-atelier does not only concern issues linked to the legislative national context but is profoundly determined by its ability to place itself in continuity with the contemporaneity through its narrative capacity tells us about its author, an illustrious man as an architect of evident fame; of his substance, an architecture child of the Modern Movement; and the social context in which it was generated. An iconic architectural work par excellence, this example describes how modern architecture has radically transformed spaces in response to the new lifestyles of the 20th century. These changes, which concern aesthetic and functional aspects, are the direct consequence of the political and social transformations of the time and a new conception of internal space governed mainly by attention to the user’s needs.