Analysis of Architecture of Le Corbusier

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.

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