Thesis:
Le Corbusier is
one of the most important architects of the world, because his architecture can be examined in different ways suchas his completed
building designs, the details found within them and the influence he has had on other architectural
styles.
I.
His completed building designs
A.Villa Sovaye
1.
History of the building
2. Damage during World War
3.
General structure
4.
Rooms
B. Notre Dame Du Haut
1. History of the building
2. General structure
3. Details of structure
II.
The details found within them
A.
Somatic Detail
1. Using colour symbolically
2. Colours
3. Effect of colours on form
4. Colour of concrete
5. A new term in furniture area
6. Human- limb objects
7.Metal construction furniture
B. Elements Of The Architectural Promenade
1. Occuring two different realms bu doors
2. Pivoting door
3. Transperancy of doors
4. Stair types
5. Spiral stair
6. Occuring a different composition by
staircase
C.
Light and Dark
1. Reflection
2. Varieties of artifical lightings
3. Uplighters
4. Purpose of rooflights
5. Framing a view of sky
6. Geometric lines rooflight to define the
space
III.
The influence he has had on other
architectural styles
A. Purism
1. Purism in architecture
2. Le Corbusier's purist movements in
architecture
B. Modernism
1. Contents of modernism
2. Feature of modern
architecture
3. Modern architecture
4. Five points of modern
architecture
5. "Form follows
function"
6. Modernism in Corbusier's
works
Abstract
Le Corbusier is one of the most famous and important
architects of the world and his architecture can be examined in terms of
variety of aspects. Le Corbusier’s completed buildings, designs and works are
very important because Le Corbusier brought a new term to architecture area
thanks to his innovations. He gave inspirations to architectures and designers.
In addition to his completed buildings the details found within Le Corbusier’s
buildings and designs showed his depted knowledges and artistic styles. The
final phase of research expresses the influence in architecture. His influences
brought him to the wider aspects of architecture. By identifying all these
phases are explained with the examples, Le Corbusier’s architecture explains
from different aspects.
Charles Eduoard Jeannerret
who is better known
as Le Corbusier was born in Switzerland in 1887. Although he is famous
for being one of the pioneers of modern architecture, he is also painter,
designer, sculpture, urbanist and writer. He was one of the most influential
architects whose buildings and writings
had a revolutionary effect on the international development of modern
architecture of the 20th century. He dedicated himself to provide better living
conditions in pretty solid place for the residents of crowded cities. Travelling
throughout Europe to observe architectural styles he met Ozenfant, who
introduced him to Purism, and with whom he collaborated in writing several
articles. Corbusier's main interest was large urban projects and city planning.
Many of his designs were rejected, but they influenced other architects
throughout the world. In five decades of his career, many buildings have been
constructed scattered throughout
Europe, India, Russia and
America. many have attempted to understand him, as he exhibited himself after
that, he became an authoritative on publications, competitions, commenting on
everything and eveywhere at on once. Consequently, Le Corbusier is one
of the most important architects of the world, because his architecture can be
examined in different ways such as his
completed building designs, the details found within them and the influence he has had on other architectural styles.
In architecture, Le Corbusier’s
why is it so important to understand that in the first as their completed
buildings can be analyzed.It is significant for him that people understand his
ideas and imaginations in arhitecture way therefore he wanted to transfer his
architecture through their senses with completed buildings. To begin with, when
Villa Savoye which is the private house for major community is observed in
terms of history and structure Le Corbusier’s effects are can be seen easly. For
example, history of Villa Savoye stands out in order to better understand
construction periods.Villa Savoye which is called “modernist villa” built
between 1928–1931 in Poisy where an hour’s ride from Paris fort the Savoye
Family. After owners moved their home, because of the variety problems Villa
Savoye was exposed much alteration such as lakes of water (Burri, (1999, p.15).
Also, during the German occupation, the house which is located between from the
leading works of Le Corbusier's, was damaged and could not be used in the World
War II.Due toAmerican and German occupation in world war two, the furniture, doors
were taken by the soldiers (Palmes, 1960, p.70).The building was restored by
the French Government and today it is used as museum.Villa Savoye which has
been witness long and difficult period. It
is clear that although it lost their meaning together with its surrounding
environment it can maintain Le
Corbusier’s effects currently.In addition,structure of the building is a other important point for understanding architects of Le
Corbusier.Villa Savoye that was built a large area outside of the city is a
unique structure in terms of its design and space of using through builts of
the term.Le corbusier used all possibilities
of his continued consepts since 1915 in Villa
Savoye that has 400 squaremeter area of floor.Walls were used for seperating
instead of load bearing because columns were used to provide it and ramps,
sunlight,horizontal windows were preffered by Le Corbusier in this house.Four walls
limit the main body of the house and all facades of the house are girded sliding (Boesiger & Girsberger,
1967, p.58). Although its large area, built
field is small, the house has a too big bedroom, living room, which are located
around garden two small guest rooms, a kitchen and pantry (Papadaki, 1948, p.30).
Villa Savoye has ground floor, between
the columns first floor and roof floor. This makes it clear that when
structural properties of the house are considered, Villa Savoye is one of the first
examples of modernism. Indeed, Villa Savoye is an important architectural work
in many terms.
In addition to Villa Savoye, Notre Dame Du Haunt is
the other significant built which is to
be investigated variety terms.To begin
with, it is nearly imposible to start history of informally known as Ronchamp the
Chapel of Notre Dame Du Haunt. Ronchamp which is one of beter examples of the
Swiss and Franco completed in 1954 as a religious architecture built. When Le
Corbusier was begun to design of Ronchamp, although reformists in the church wanted
to clear their name of the corruption by using modern art, Corbusier’s opinion
was not same with them for instance, he wanted the extension
to enable auiet contemplation and thought (Kroll, 2010, para.3-4). Obviously,
while Le Corbusier was constructing the Ronchamp, he has a free architecture.
Secondly, Ronchamp’s structure provides to take precedence of building others.
Two concrete membranes which create the main part of the structure are used for
seperation and form the shell- like roof of Ronchamp (Boesiger, 1967, p.51). Curved
roof and walls let the light to seep into from outside thanks to small openings
(Maak, 2011, p.8). All of them are considered reasons of Ronchamp’s to become one
of best buildings are irregular small windovs and mushroom- like head, thick
concrete cover.To conclude, Le Corbusier designed and constructed Notre Dame Du
Haunt more interesting instead of more primitive and sculptural.
The reason why Le Corbusier should be examined in
terms of the details found within his completed buildings, designs because in
order to learn and understand viewpoints of his architectural philoshopy, the
meaning of detail and the way in which Le Corbusier used in it his art life are
a fundamental issue. Each architectural detail which represents a micro part of
presence plays a role to be occured the meaning of the whole and Le Corbusier
explained that every organism in detail which is set up according to logical
rules with the whole, provides connections around the axis between two poles
(Samuel, 2007, p.3). To begin with, the details found within his buildings and
designs include somatic detail which is related to reflections of emotions and
sensations to architecture details. For example Le Corbusier used colour
symbolically in order to affect mood and to claim or reduce the entity of
architectural elements (Samuel, 2007, p.64). Warm and cold blue, light and dark
green, deep reds, brown were used in construction of building (Chamberlain, n.d,
para. 3). Particularly, red and blue which were accepting intensities, were
used more powerful in his works because all perceptions and moral typicals of
the colours were instantly evoked a play by Le Corbusier. Red and blue which
used to bring into his buildings in his works provided to be defined forms of
buildings in light-dark (Heer, 2009, p.104). Moreover, in Le Corbusier's later
works in 1950s, variety of colours which were used usually symbolic was often inhabitant
in his buildings with concrete furniture. In relation with the colour of
concrete, Le Corbusier stated that although the appearence of the cement is
gloomy, it does not show the cement is gloomy because colours have worths with
their environments (Samuel, 2007, p.64). From the examples and information
given above, it is clear that Le Corbusier used the colour sembolically in
order to reflect the sensations to architecture details and diminish the
presence of architectural elements. In addition to the colour, the furniture is
another obvious somatic detail of the details found within Le Corbusier's buildings
and designs. Primarily, Le Corbusier created a new term in furniture area which
was defined as equipment took the place of old word furniture which means
limited benefits and becoming solid habits. By given the word 'mobilier' his
goal was to provide a determined way of life without confusion in order to
relinquish the inhabitants of his buildings better able to come over from the
act of living (Samuel, 2007, p.59). Because of this, Le Corbusier brought
emotional and physical sights to architecture in furniture area. For him, the furnishing
of the home was human limb objects to put another way an englargement of human
body were in proportion to limbs and adapted to gestures (Samuel, 2007, p.59).
In this way, Le Corbusier stated that metal construction lent gave more
possibilities to sit with new methods compared to wood material for chairs.
Because of this, he created new metal and leather equipment which provided to
become free (Samuel, 2007, p.59). From the information given above, it is clear
that Le Corbusier used the emotional and physical aspects in furniture design.
Apart from the somatic details found within Le
Corbusier's buildings and designs, elements of the architectural promenade are
a way of explaining his architecture. This is borne out by doors in his architecture.
The two realms are created by doors because wall is cut by door in two
longitudinally. This longitudinal seperation of space demonstrated itself in Le
Corbusier's doors which have two very different faces.
Le Corbusier explained that the door from the hall to the living room in the
penthouse at 24 Rue Nungesser ET Coli, indicated this situation because one
side, facing into living room, is black, the other side is cream which provided
to belong the spaces they were devoted a
covering wing of passing space was provided to guide the visitor in thanks to
the opening the vast pivoting door
(2007, p.132). Pivoting doors which occur two area and create a distinctive
aspect were used commonly in Corbusier's works because when the door is pushed
one way, an against motion is resulted in the other direction. Corbusier
compared the curve of the door swinging to 24- hour day in other words the
daily movement of the sun which involved in his contrasting faces (Samuel,
2007, p.132). However, Corbusier used
door which abjured pivoting.his ability was to change the degree of
transparency of thresholds. In spite of the transparency of all elements of the
composition, the glass beam and the concrete made an entrance, frame. Even
though, there was no door, only frame made existence of door as onto the
brigded entrance of La Tourette (Samuel, 2007, p.134). Clearly, Le Corbusier
used door as an element of the architectural promenade because of the effect on
the division of space by doors. In addition to doors, stairs are another
element of the architectural promenade. Samuel (2007) stated that equally Le
Corbusier conceived a limited diversity stair types to be used again and
clarified across his career. The spiral, the dogleg and the contielevered stair
which played a role in the psychological promenade, were involved in his works
(p.149). The spiral form was used again and again in his works because
repetition of the same architectural type was center to his concept of
evolution. Le Corbusier used spiral stairs to provide a respiration to space
(Samuel, 2007, p. 150). Moreover, Le Corbusier used a metal railing on the
inside and a low wall to other side like the parapet wall of the balcony in a
work, thanks to this, staircase seemed as if it had been quited from the
balcony to move down to the ground in contrast, this low balustrade wall showed
itself to go around at the landing and make room for storage (Etlin, 1994,
p.145). From the examples and information given above it is clear that
different types of stair were took place in Corbusier's works in an element of
the architectural promenade.
Asides from the
elements of the architectural promenade found within Le Corbusier's
buildings and designs, light and dark is a way of understanding his
architecture. Artificial lighting is an important detail found within his
building and designs. Le Corbusier approached to artifical lighting because of
importance of reflection in his works. With the design of the Villa Sovaye, he
used the ceiling as a reflective service with tabular lamps hung below in an
inverted through.For the Caprenter Centre, Le Corbusier designed to give
priority cleanliness of buildings structure. Color was used as a reflector the
under of floors were painted to white. Thanks to this, light was illuminated in
gutter unconstantly (Banham cited by Samuel, 2007, pp. 91-92). Le Corbusier
used different glass and metal screens of industrial origin for artificial lighting.
Naked bulb, fluorescent, incandescent and lamps were designed in his works (Vasquez,
2010, pp. 20-27). Moreover, during his career, uplighters took a place with
Corbusier's big interest in works. Uplighters were used to create a different atmospher.
For pavillion suisse, uplighters were put at the ground level. It provided the
building above appearance to be floating on light and at Ronchamp, uplighters
when seen from at night, added mystique to chapel (Samuel, 2007, p.92). In this
way variety types of artifical lighting objects were used in Corbusier's works
to create different atmosfer perceptions. In addition to artificial lighting,
rooflights are another element of light and dark in his works. Although various
rooflights were designed in order to conduct different purposes by Corbusier.
Some rooflights were designed with simple aim of deducing the light into the
heart of building. Other rooflights framed the appearence of the sky (Samuel,
2007, p.84). An effect of appearence of sky is conducted in two fourth floor
seminar rooms of Carpenter Centre. One room which had green rooflight was
painted black and the other room which red rectangular rooflight was painted
white. Thanks to this, the two rooms had two direct oppositions to one another.
The sky expressed itself as a focus for reflection (Curtis cited by Samuel, 2007,
p.85). The another example, Baker stated that at the dominician convent of La
Tourette, Le Corbusier's hard concrete volumes were broken out by trapezoidal
rooflights and light slots. The seven tropezoidal rooflights which faced south
and become light columns into the sacristy. Walls were cut by light slots and
geometric lines of light gave description to the space (2002, p. 24). In
conclusion, it can be concluded that Le Corbusier used rooflights in his works
for different purposes.
The reason why corbusier should be examined in terms
of the influence he had on other style, because in order understand his
architecture.To begin with, purism in architecture which were devoleped by Le
Corbusier and Ozanfant Amedee in 20th century is current of art with cubism.
Purism is described certain, open, clean and pure and regular formats the
purists and they want to reflect machine age. Although purism only rests aesthetics, it
contributes to the acceptance of a system in which mathematics exists in the
outer world to shape a final truth (Boyer, 2011, p.267). It is obvious that
with the bringing out of Purism, there has been new period in
architecture.In addition Le Corbusier who is the founder of pürism to be
associated with the purist movements.He used lots of him projects purism currents such as Villa
Savoye,Ronchamp Chapel. Because Le Corbusier designed it in 1929 Villa Savoye is
pure ‘purism’ rather than the rough purism of later styles (Blake, 1960, p.63).
Natural elements were preferred rather than the mechanical forms used by Le
Corbusier in his earlier years (Richards, 2003, p.32). All these examples prove
that Purism is not considered without Le Corbusier.
In addition to Purism, Modernism is a way of
understanding his architecture. Modernism in architecture another influence, Le
Corbusier has had on architectural styles. Although a lot of people believe
modern architecture is constructed in contemporary area, the modern period
started in 1880s and went on to the 1970s. Modern architecture can be
characterized by its functionality, circulation, use of machine and conformance
to Le Corbusier's five points of architecture (Crooks, n.d. para.1). Moreover,
Pei explains that little or no adorments, factory made parts, man made materials
such as metal and concrete, focus on function and disobedience the custom
styles are main issues of the modernist architecture (n.d.,
"Modernism"). Although most modern architectures use a limited color
which are white, black and gray, functional architectural elements which are
door, stair and window are used with details meticulously in modern
architecture (Crooks, n.d., para. 2). Consequently, it is obvious above that
modernism is an influence reflects to architecture. In addition to modernism in
architecture, Le Corbusier's modernist movement in architecture is important
issue to understand his architecture. Le Corbusier was one of the most modern
architecture. He analysed the modern architecture on five points. These are
pilots or columns, an open floor plan,
building's structure, a free facade and an accessible rooftop garden (Crooks,
n.d., para. 5). While corbusier was characterizing the modern architecture, he
said that a house should be " a machine for living". This means
discarding the decoration and exposition the "real purpose" of
buildings. It was explained as a slogan "form follows function" (Reno,
2009, para. 6). For example, when a roof supplies protection, protection is
wanted to see. In
Corbusier's works at the centre in Zurich, roof shouts
"I am a roof". This situation is valid for other features of
buildings. If duty of windows is to bring the light into room, large-paned
should be used or if steeel girders support to building, they are not concealed
(Reno, 2009, para. 7-8). In conclusion, Corbusier wanted to reveal the real
purpose of building which should be exposed is important to understand for Le
Corbusier's modernist movement in architecture.
In conclusion, Le Corbusier’s completed works,
designs, the details found within them and the influence he had on other
architectural styles explains that Le Corbusier is one of the most important
architects of the world. Le Corbusier played a big role in architecture area
and brought new solutions, influences and creatind designings to architecture.
This should motivate architects and designers to learn the foundations of
architecture intensely. It should not forgetten that with Le Corbusier’s
important additions to architecture area, Architecture students should learn a
lot of informations from Le Corbusier’s details in architecture. Consequently,
the growing realization of the signifiance of Le Corbusier’s additions to
architecture, the details in his works and influences on other architectural
styles will provide informations and give inspirations to people in
architecture area in the near future.
References
Baker, N. (2002). Daylight design of buildings.
Blake, P. (1960).The
master buildings. New York, Knopf.
Boyer,
M. C. (2011). Le Corbusier, homme de letters. New York, Princeton ArchitecturalPress.
Burri,
R. (1999). Le Corbusier: Photographs by Rene Burri Magnum: moments in the
life
Chamberlain, M. (n.d.). Colortherapy: Le Corbusier, kt. color and the
Villa Savoye. Retrived Crooks, R. (n.d.). Characteristics of the modernist architectural style.
Retrived from http://w
ww.ehow.com/info_8527884_characteristics-modernist-architectural-style.html
Etlin, R. A. (1994). Frank Lloyd Wright and Le Corbusier: The romantic
legacy. New York: Manchester University Press
Heer, J. D. (2009). The
architectonic colour. Retrived from
http://books.google.com.
Kroll,
A. (2010). Ronchamp/ Le Corbusier. Retrieved
Le Corbusier (1960).My work (Palmes,
J, Trans.). London: Architectural Press. (Original work published in n.d.)
Le Corbusier (1967). Le Corbusier 1910-65 (Boesiger,
W. & Girsberger, H. Trans.). Zurich: Les
Editions d’Architecture. (Original work published in n.d.)
Maak, N. (2011). Le Corbusier: the architect on the
beach. Munich, Hirmer.
Papadaki,
S. (1948). Le Corbusier, architect, painter, writer. New York,The Macmillan Company.
Pei, I. M. ( n.d.), Modernism.
Retrived from http://architecture.about.com/od/20thcent s/ig/Modern-Architecture/Modernism.htm
Reno, P. R. ( 2009). The sledgehammer of modernism. Retrived from
http://www.firstthings.co m/onthesquare/2009/03/the-sledgehammer-of-modernism
Richards,
S. (2003). Le Corbusier and the concept of self. New Hawen, Yale University
Press.
Samuel, F. (2007). Le
Corbusier in detail. The Netherlands: Elsevier
Vasquez, C. (2010). Light in the work of Le Corbuiser. doi: 10.4067/S0717-69962010000300003
