Inside La Junqueira Lille, a New, Multigenerational Artist Residency
A restored 19th-century villa becomes the setting for a new experiment in shared living, where artists and older residents shape daily life together.
Photograph by Karel Balas
La Junqueira Lille is located behind a set of black wrought-iron gates, its red-brick façade threaded with ivy, a small turret rising on the right. Inside, the restored 19th-century villa is charged with anticipation as the first weekend of a bold experiment in multigenerational living and art-making gets underway.
Built in 1910 and originally known as Château Guérin, the villa later became Le Castelet, hosting weddings and other community celebrations. Though much of its past is still being pieced together, the founding Guérin family attended the project’s inauguration, offering a living link to the house’s origins.
Following a renovation by the architecture and design firm Pollux, the villa now contains two artist studios, four self-contained apartments, an exhibition space, shared living areas and a ceramics workshop. The design weaves modern elements, from bold drapery to carefully chosen artworks, through the building’s original features, creating a home suited to an initiative that fosters cross-generational exchange.
“I visited maybe four properties and when I arrived at this one I had a very good feeling and I could see myself doing this project,” said founder Stéphane Mulliez. “I knew what I wanted to do was create a common life.”
That “common life” is what makes La Junqueira Lille distinctive: artists and senior residents living side by side, blending community with creation.
“My idea was to grow older in the best way,” Mulliez explained when asked about the intention behind the project. “I’m going to organize artist residencies once a year and propose that the rental people choose who the artist is going to be.”
The theme of each residency, she added, will be closely tied to the dynamics of the house itself. “Because it is an intergenerational house, I want their work to be about transmission, about ages, history and archives,” said Mulliez, who also partially lives there.
Over the opening weekend, that spirit of exchange was everywhere: conversations between generations flowed easily, swapping stories and perspectives. To shape the programme, Mulliez invited curator Raphaël Giannesini to lead La Ducasse, a two-day series of exhibitions and workshops featuring artists such as Julien Baete, Emmanuelle Fructus and Nora Kaci.
For Mulliez, the project is as much about connection as it is about creativity. “Well, maybe you’re gonna see when you’re my age,” she said, smiling. “I notice that even when you have kids, your life is more solitary, lonely. After 50 years old, you don’t have many social links, it demands a lot of effort and you have to be very open. So, for me, it’s a way to stay connected with other generations. They bring me a lot of happiness [and] pleasure.”
Research reiterates this sentiment, showing that older adults living alone often report poorer mental and physical health. A 2022 study found that living with an adult child can offset these effects, acting as a protective factor for well-being. La Junqueira Lille puts this into practice, promoting connection between residents and, hopefully in turn, sparking improved mental health for its older residents.
Mulliez’s desire to foster bonds shapes how she structures the residency and supports older artists. “I wanted to share with people my age because I noticed that, for example, for artists that are over 50 years old, nobody talks anymore about them if they are not famous, and there is a lot of talent. So I’m gonna support the artist residency to show the work of these kinds of artists.”