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Department of Architectural Engineering HISTORY AND THEORIES OF CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTURE Lecture Le Corbusier |...

Department of Architectural Engineering HISTORY AND THEORIES OF CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTURE Lecture Le Corbusier | Department of Architectural Engineering | ARCH 366 History and Theories of Contemporary Architecture | 3 Cr H 17 projects by Le Corbusier have been included to the World Heritage Sites list - Architect-US  Le Corbusier Introduction Le Corbusier is one of the major originators of the International Style, along with such contemporaries as Mies van der Rohe and Walter Gropius, with whom he once worked, among many others. Over fifty years after his death, Le Corbusier still manages to exercise influence and arouse hatred for his ideas and buildings. His complex ties to politics and the sociological dimensions of architecture - along with his voluminous records and archives - mean that he will continue to be the subject of debates for decades to come. https://www.theartstory.org/artist/le-corbusier/  His Five Points of a New Architecture, which form the backbone of his architectural thought of the 1920s, constitute some of Le Corbusier the most direct set of ideas in architectural theory, which he successfully demonstrated in his numerous contemporary villas Introduction of the interwar period. The Five Points of New Architecture by Le Corbusier 1. Cube form elevated on stilts or columns - pilotis elevating the mass off the ground 2. Roof garden - restoring, the area of ground covered by the house 3. Open planning - the free plan, achieved through the separation of the load-bearing columns from the walls subdividing the space 4. Free-standing façade - the free facade, the corollary of the free plan in the vertical plane 5. Framework structurally independent of walls https://www.theartstory.org/artist/le-corbusier/ Individual Home. Le Corbusier, The Weissenhof Estate, Stuttgart, Germany 1927 Le Corbusier The Five Points of New Architecture by Le Corbusier 1. Cube form elevated on stilts or columns - pilotis elevating the mass off the ground.  Le Corbusier The Five Points of New Architecture by Le 2. Roof garden - restoring, the area of ground covered by the house Corbusier Domino House (1914) is an open floor plan structures, supported by reinforced concrete columns meaning that the floor space was free to be configured into rooms without concern for supporting walls. Thus, the building envelope expression becomes an independent expression subject to the interpretation of Its Architect. Le Corbusier The Five Points of New Architecture by Le Corbusier 3. Open planning - the free plan, achieved through the separation of the load-bearing columns from the walls subdividing the space  Le Corbusier The Five Points of New Architecture by Le 4. Free-standing façade - the free facade, the corollary of the free plan in Corbusier the vertical plane The Free Plan, Villa Savoye  Le Corbusier The Five Points of New Architecture by Le Corbusier 5. Framework structurally independent of walls (The ribbon window)  Le Corbusier Timeline 1929 -31 1945-52 Villa Savoye Unité d'Habitation 1951-65 Chandigarh, India 1907 1925 freestar 1928 1950-55 Alois Riehl House, Pavillon de L'Esprit LC4 - Chaise longue Chapelle Notre-Dame- Germany Nouveau, Paris du-Haut https://www.theartstory.org/artist/le-corbusier/  Le Corbusier 1925 Pavillon de L'Esprit Nouveau, Paris Pavillon de l'Esprit Nouveau was a model home constructed for the 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris, France. Corbu’s Pavillon was part of a larger project entitled, “Plan for a Modern City of 3,000,000 Inhabitants.” It illustrated his belief that industry, through the standardization required for mass-production, could create the buildings necessary for modern living. The design, complete with a rooftop terrace, anticipated challenges of the future, such as overpopulation, by maximizing a typical urban dweller’s home. Corbu utilized built-in furniture such as cabinets, shelves, and wardrobes to make the most of a small space. One could say it was the first, “tiny house,” of its time. https://www.theartstory.org/artist/le-corbusier/ Le Corbusier 1925 Pavillon de L'Esprit Nouveau, Paris Video to watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RuO0VPysIo  Le Corbusier 1925 Pavillon de L'Esprit Nouveau, Paris Both of these urban schemes, built around the culture of automobile transport, were on display in an annex attached to the prototypical unit. For Le Corbusier, the ubiquitous employment of mass-production for both automobiles and houses was the germ of the city of the future; as he had explained in Vers une architecture, they functioned as essential modern tools that were logical extensions of the human form. With his design of the Pavillon, Corbu made architecturally political statements. He rejected ornateness. He wanted to show the world that the pure forms created by industry (the standardization of mass production) had value. Corbu revolutionized modern interiors by emphasizing function. https://en.wikiarquitectura.com/building/lesprit-nouveau-pavilion/ https://www.theartstory.org/artist/le-corbusier/  Le Corbusier 1928 LC4 - Chaise longue Described by Le Corbusier as a "relaxing machine," this chaise longue embodies his approach of placing the human body in the center of design. Indeed, Le Corbusier reportedly quipped that the design was inspired by images of American cowboys reclining with their feet propped up on a table. https://www.theartstory.org/artist/le-corbusier/  Le Corbusier 1928 LC4 - Chaise longue The chair combines geometric purity with ergonomic needs, making use of the then innovative tubular steel frame, present in most modern furniture from the 1920s and ‘30s The strong H-shaped base and the elegant curvature of the thin tubular frame support the padded surface bent twice in order to better accommodate one's body. A cylindrical cushion is placed on one side serving as a head support. The independence between the base and the tubular steel frame allows for multiple degrees of reclining, emphasizing the chair's multifunctionality and thus its ideal degree of utility. https://www.theartstory.org/artist/le-corbusier/  Le Corbusier 1929-30 Villa Savoye Recognized as "one of the icons of modern European architecture," the house influenced the coinage of the term "The International Style" and was prominently displayed in 1932 in MoMA's seminal Modern Architecture: International Exhibition. The last of Le Corbusier's 1920s-style houses, the Villa Savoye, fittingly, is considered the summation of his "Five Points of a New Architecture" elucidated in his treatise Vers- une architecture (1923). https://www.theartstory.org/artist/le-corbusier/  Le Corbusier 1929-30 Villa Savoye The pilot is, or thin point-support columns, are arranged in a near-perfect grid that provides the architect almost complete freedom in the designs of both the floor plan and the facades - underscored by the fact that each of the four facades is different. The second floor, the main living space, is characterized by the ribbon windows that provide free views of the landscape - fostering the strong connection between nature and the constructed structure - and it is crowned by a roof terrace. The expansive lawn has the added effect of placing the building on prime display, as if it was intended to function as a demonstration or summation of the Five Points. https://www.theartstory.org/artist/le-corbusier/  Le Corbusier 1929-30 Villa Savoye https://ersanilktan.wordpress.com/2017/03/05/villa-savoye-poster/  Le Corbusier 1929-30 Villa Savoye Built entirely out of the industrial materials of steel, concrete, and glass. Le Corbusier believed in the health benefits of fresh air and sunshine, and considered leisure time spent outdoors one mark of a modern lifestyle. The Villa Savoye’s integration of indoor and outdoor spaces allowed the family to spend time outdoors in the most efficient way possible https://www.theartstory.org/artist/le-corbusier/  Le Corbusier 1929-30 Villa Savoye The terrace features a sculptural wall whose curved forms echo the smokestacks of ocean liners, a relationship which is underscored by the placement of the house within a large lawn, much like a ship sailing through a vast sea; and in the metal ship-deck railings of the ramps that connect the house's three levels. Meanwhile, the curve of the driveway as it snakes around the first level uses the exact turning radius of a 1929 model Voisin - the automobile manufacturer that had supported Le Corbusier's work throughout the decade. The villa thus represents the way Le Corbusier conceived of a dwelling as "a machine for living." https://www.theartstory.org/artist/le-corbusier/  Le Corbusier 1929-30 Villa Savoye https://www.theartstory.org/artist/le-corbusier/  Le Corbusier Part B –BRUTALISM Brutalism, also known as Brutalist architecture, is a style that emerged in the 1950s and grew out of the early-20th century modernist movement. Brutalism was generally characterised by its rough, unfinished surfaces, unusual shapes, heavy-looking materials, straight lines, and small windows This movement advocated a more honest, uncompromising aesthetic based on socially progressive intentions of co- habitation and shared space.  Le Corbusier Part B –BRUTALISM The architectural movement affectionately known as Brutalism emerged in Britain during the 1950s, and to this day remains one of the most controversial architectural movements in history. This innately rugged approach to design is considered a reaction by a younger generation to the lightness and optimism of architecture during the 1930s and 1940s. Architects including Louis Kahn and Marcel Breuer responded to the transparent International Style of the first half of the 20th Century by creating works with more monumental qualities and material weight. It was presented, especially by Le Corbusier, as the dominant option for forward-moving, high-density modern urban housing. As such, many government projects during this period were designed according to Brutalist principles, which gave the world much of its high-rise housing, educational buildings and shopping centers. As grey and hard-edged the word ‘brutal’ sounds, it is an aesthetic criticism, not an architectural movement in itself.  Le Corbusier 1945-52 Unité d'Habitation The Unité d'Habitation in Marseilles was the first large- scale housing block that Le Corbusier was given the chance to build. It was conceived to be built in multiple iterations, as part of a much larger urban redevelopment, such as those Le Corbusier hoped would be built for entirely devastated areas such as Saint-Die and La Rochelle after World War II. The single Unité, however, was the only piece of this vision that he would manage to carry out - though in several different locations in Europe. https://www.theartstory.org/artist/le-corbusier/  Le Corbusier 1945-52 Unité d'Habitation often described as a "city within a city." The 337 apartment units in the building are divided into 23 types in order to accommodate different family arrangements - from a bachelor to a family with eight children. Most of the apartments are duplex and include a living room with a double-height ceiling and large windows that allow for a full view of the surrounding landscape. https://www.theartstory.org/artist/le-corbusier/  Le Corbusier 1945-52 Unité d'Habitation https://www.theartstory.org/artist/le-corbusier/  Le Corbusier 1945-52 Unité d'Habitation Halfway up the building, along the interior road of floors seven and eight, essential services are provided such as a bakery, butcher, dairy, seafood shop, fruit and vegetable shop, liquor store, drugstore, laundry and cleaning service, barbershop, post office, as well as a hotel and a restaurant. In addition, on the 17th floor inhabitants can find a kindergarten and a nursery. There, a ramp leads to the rooftop, which contains a swimming pool, indoor and outdoor athletic facilities, and a snack bar. https://www.theartstory.org/artist/le-corbusier/  Le Corbusier 1945-52 Unité d'Habitation http://lowereastsiding.blogspot.com/2017/02/blog-post.html  Le Corbusier 1945-52 Unité d'Habitation The Unité also shows the evolution of Le Corbusier's work with rough concrete, wherein he left the material unfinished, with the imprint of the wood used to cast it clearly visible in its surface. This facet of the building's skin not only connects it to the natural park-like surroundings littered with trees, but it gives the building an arguably more robust character, much like the hulk of a sailing ocean liner, to which it has often been compared. Le Corbusier's work with concrete here would influence many architects in the coming decades, concluding in the strand of design with the material called Brutalism, which merged in the 1970s. https://www.theartstory.org/artist/le-corbusier/  Le Corbusier 1950-55 Chapelle Notre-Dame-du-Haut In 1950, Le Corbusier was invited to design a new Catholic pilgrimage chapel in Ronchamp, a small French town in the Vosges Mountains near the Swiss border, to replace the one that had been destroyed during World War II. Perched on top of a hill, the church is a typical among Le Corbusier's works; its highly sculptural forms use virtually no right angles and make no references to his usual prismatic clarity. The inclined walls appear almost to be collapsing inwards under the weight of the massive brown concrete roof. https://www.theartstory.org/artist/le-corbusier/  Le Corbusier 1950-55 Chapelle Notre-Dame-du-Haut Only when the visitor enters the small, darker sanctuary, pierced by small shards of light, does he discover the thickness and solidity of these walls that firmly enfold the space and create a solemn atmosphere imbued with meditative tranquility https://www.theartstory.org/artist/le-corbusier/ Le Corbusier 1950-55 Chapelle Notre-Dame-du-Haut Natural Lighting of the Prayer Halls  Le Corbusier 1950-55 Chapelle Notre-Dame-du-Haut The shape of the roof has been variously compared to a billowing sail, a duck's tail, and a nun's cowl. Thus this mysterious display itself invites a kind of intellectual meditation and reflection that undoubtedly mirrors the religious contemplation that Le Corbusier attempts to encourage in the pilgrim. The sense of contemplation is likewise drawn out over the substantial hike one must take up the hill in order to reach the chapel, thereby mirroring the spiritual journey in many religions (not just Christianity) that one makes to achieve enlightenment, or simply the winding adventure of human life with its unexpected twists and turns. https://www.theartstory.org/artist/le-corbusier/ Le Corbusier 1950-55 Chapelle Notre-Dame-du-Haut Video to watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzRhymzGxS4  Le Corbusier 1951-65 Chandigarh, India In 1951 Le Corbusier finally received the opportunity to put his ideas into practice. The new capital for the Punjab state that would represent India's entry into the modern world. Chandigarh was planned to house 300,000 inhabitants, spread over 47 numbered sectors organized on a grid. Each sector, measuring 800 x 1200 meters, consists of a self-sufficient unit with basic services such as shops, school, health center, and areas for recreation and worship. https://www.theartstory.org/artist/le-corbusier/  Le Corbusier 1951-65 Chandigarh, India As in his other projects, Le Corbusier prioritized the automobile, connecting the sectors through wide boulevards. To conform to the modern ideas of functionality and efficiency, the city was zoned according to its different uses: residential buildings, a commercial center, a medical and university complex, and a recreation area, and a central park around a large artificial lake. https://www.theartstory.org/artist/le-corbusier/  Le Corbusier 1951-65 Chandigarh, India Chandigarh, India High Court, 1956 https://www.theartstory.org/artist/le-corbusier/  Le Corbusier 1951-65 Chandigarh, India Chandigarh, India High Court, 1956 https://www.theartstory.org/artist/le-corbusier/  Le Corbusier 1951-65 Chandigarh, India Palace of Assembly (the governor palace), 1953 One of Le Corbusier's most prominent buildings from India, the Palace of the Assembly in Chandigarh boasts his major architectural philosophies and style. Le Corbusier's five points of architecture can be found within the design from its open plan to the view of the Himalayan landscape. The program features a circular assembly chamber, a forum for conversation and transactions, and stair-free circulation. https://www.theartstory.org/artist/le-corbusier/  Le Corbusier 1951-65 Chandigarh, India Le Corbusier was also responsible for designing the famed Capitol Complex, which included the Secretariat, the Legislative Assembly, and the High Court buildings. Their impressive scale boldly displays Le Corbusier's affinity for rough cast-concrete, punctuated by long rows of bays articulated by prominent brise-soleil to provide relief from the hot desert sun. Chandigarh's success might be gauged from recent polls that reveal it to be the happiest city of India - most likely due to the calm and order resulting from its unique design; meanwhile, Le Corbusier's Capitol Complex was added to UNESCO's World Heritage list in 2016. https://www.theartstory.org/artist/le-corbusier/  Le Corbusier 1951-65 Chandigarh, India Video to watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZKddmRPFFc