Les Lumieres, an art deco house on Route Orange was designed for a builder's merchant by the architect Arthur Grayson and was supposed to cost £2,500, but the bill rose to £10,000. In 1932, when it was completed, the house caused a sensation. People walked, cycled and drove from all over the island to see the amazing new building.
Purchased for £1 million by an anonymous businessman, and restored probably for a similar sum, Les Lumieres was back to its original glory after decades of neglect.
Site of special interest
From architects Axis Mason website
Les Lumieres is one of the most significant works of early modern architecture in the Channel Islands and was accorded SS1 (Grade 1 equivalent) status in 2001. The present owners purchased the building in a perilous state of dilapidation and sought to restore it to use as a contemporary family home.
The building has now been completely restored, with much of the original bespoke furniture and fittings refurbished or reproduced to match the originals. A sensitive new swimming pool extension has also been added. Overall, the project strikes a delicate balance between essential repairs and renewal, historically accurate restoration and carefully considered new intervention to regenerate this important architectural landmark.
The project received a Jersey Design Award in 2004 and a UK Civic Trust Mention in 2005.
- The full story of the restoration project from Save Jersey's Heritage website
- BBC Website feature on the building
