As well as an avid reader of literature, he was also a theatre lover, particularly fond of the modern productions of Jacques Copeau or Louis Jouvet. Between his admission to the Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts (the atelier of Pascal-Recoura and later the atelier of Emmanuel Pontremoli) and his subsequent move to Megève, he studied with the greatest designers of the time, Pierre Patout and Emile-Jacques Ruhlmann. He exhibited at the Salon d'automne, and designed theatre sets and shop fronts. Prior to obtaining his degree (for the Chalet d'Angèle de Bourbon in Megève in 1929), he received several commissions for modern farms and sanatoriums. In 1928, he began a friendship and collaboration with an old school friend, Pol Abraham, with whom he built several sanatoriums in the Alps. In spite of his multiple professional activities (Ordre des architectes, Commission des Constructions Scolaires, Chief Architect of Reconstruction, Habitat Commission of the IUA, Franco-British Association of Architects, etc.), he preferred to live and work in Megève. From the early 1930s, Megève became the most famous French winter sports resort, mainly thanks to Le Même and his architecture. In 1938, while working on a project on the fashion boutique Olympe, he met the young Czech clothing designer Théa Nowitzka, who he would later marry. Their home was to become a place of meeting and retreat in the mountains of Savoy.   In 1928 Jacques Henry Le Même constructed what some people have called "a manifesto of modern architecture", as if he wanted to affirm for all time his commitment to the modern movement. In fact, this home-atelier, constructed on a plot of land belonging to his mother and his aunt, seems like a refuge for a skier, light-headed from mountain air; or a home for an architect dreaming of travel; or a dwelling for an extended family including many friends. Le Même wished to bring all these functions under the same roof; the atelier and the apartment for his wife and himself on the ground floor, an apartment for his mother, his aunt and two guest rooms on the first floor. Constructed on a footpath to a Calvary (representing Christ's passion), the home is situated on the border of the village and the forest - between civilisation and nature. Further demonstration of his love of contrast can be found in the decorative motifs of Wiener Werkstäte wallpapers or the paved floors which animate the interior, while the facade appears rather reserved. Careful to unite modernity and regional tradition, the architect conceived interiors which were as warm as the red rough-cast of the exterior walls. The sketches of the village church and the numerous photos of the countryside taken by the architect indicate his deep interest in tree shadows on the snow and high-altitude colour. This interest can be found elsewhere in the interior furnishings. In his office, the warm tints of the Okoumé furniture are highlighted by the Pompeii red of the alcove linoleum. Henry Jacques Le Même never imposed the modern aesthetic demonstrated in his own home on clients in search of a picturesque mountain chalet. Nonetheless, all the elements that he developed through those commissions which launched his career are present in his home: a compact plan, open, airy rooms (to enjoy the view), large southern balconies, entry doors and steps with original motifs, long windows and fences. The architect spoke of his reasons for choosing the roof terrace: "When I arrived in Megève, I was obviously under the influence of Le Corbusier, having just read his famous new book Vers une architecture." However, Le Même did not follow Le Corbusier's ideas such as flat roofs to the letter; he arranged a series of gargoyles on the flat-fronted facades to assist the drainage of rain water. He also decided not to use a guard-rail on the terrace and erected a simple parapet instead. Moulding of the parapet resolved a stonework problem and added elegance to the facades. The long window on the front of the building brought light to the living room, as well as the kitchen, the toilets and the bathroom. The different windows and doors revealed the function of the room: circular for the dining room, a porthole for the company secretary. As much as the exterior, the interior reflects the artistic qualities of the architect. It was here, at 28 years of age, that he created a style that was to become his trademark: "a mountain art, which through the subtle play of simple materials, brings modernity and tradition together", as Maurice Culot wrote. Le Même used sandstone tiles to create mosaic effects. Aside from the red and black sketches for his home, he left a large number of geometric studies which united geometric naiveté with a contemporary language. This building is a point of departure in the life and work of the architect. But the diversity and profusion of his career cannot be reduced to this one structure. His extensions or constructions of mountain chalets reject any idea of a manifested architecture. On the contrary, these new holiday places with their familiar and reassuring shadows are inventions which are formed of their environment. Other projects similar to his home-atelier include the famous Hôtel Albert Ier, built in Megève in 1928. With that building, he began to develop the modern vocabulary he would use in new hospital spaces. He would remain faithful to the influence of Pierre Patout and E.-J. Ruhlmann, as well as the decor of De Stijl, in all of his interior design and furnishings. His constructions drew on French tradition and Nordic influences, often bringing to mind the designs of Natalia Gontcharova's Russian ballets and the architect's first theatre designs. < BACK Aymone Nicolas