From Eliinbar’s Sketch book 2012 – Le Corbusier’s dream and broke
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This post tells Le Corbusier’s tragic story ….
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Le Corbusier is a visionary…. outstanding architect ….who left us unique and inspiring projects such as :
1.Ron champ chapel –https://archidialog.com/2012/07/30/
2.la Tourette Monastery –https://archidialog.com/2012/09/09/
3.Unite D’habitation in Marseille – https://archidialog.com/2011/11/28/
4.Palace of the Assembly in Chandigarh- https://archidialog.com/2012/10/08
And other masterpieces….
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Certainly Le Corbusier is the most significant “Source of Inspiration” for architects, in the last century.
Unfortunately Le Corbusier is also the most significant “Source of Inspiration” for architects who their planning processes is more like the “Unconscious inspiration”= “Copy Paste”
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And this is how the story starts….
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It all started with Le Corbusier’s Vision of a La Ville Radieus = Radiant city, in the 30s’ of the last century.
La Ville Radieus promised future of sunshine, fresh air and greenery for city-dwellers.
The design maintained the idea of high-rise housing blocks, free circulation and abundant green spaces…. The blocks of housing were laid out in long lines stepping in and out, and were raised up on pilotis.
They had roof terraces and running tracks on their roofs. La Ville Radieus will be the vertical garden city….
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See the next sketches by Le Corbusier showing the high-rise housing blocks
And the green, landscaped spaces surrounding them
“The city of tomorrow or the relationship between nature and man will be restored”= La Ville Radieus = Radiant city
sketch by Le Corbusier showing the Radiant city
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sketch by Le Corbusier showing the Radiant city, high-rise housing blocks and the green landscaped spaces surrounding them….
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The next sketch by Le Corbusier, is showing a typical section of Unite D’habitation =high-rise housing block .
notice it is raised up on pilotis ,the green landscape spaces surrounding it exactly as Le Corbusier’s Vision for “La Ville Radieus” = “radiant city”
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Unite D’habitation in Marseille was the first order Le Corbusier received from the French state starts to be scheduled immediately after the Second World War (1945-46), and was finished in 1952.
1. Le Corbusier’s Unite D’habitation in Marseille comprises 337 apartments arranged over twelve stories.
2. The apartments are suspended on large piloties .that aloude free circulation and abundant green spaces….“Sport at the foot of the houses”
3. The building also incorporates with shops ,sporting, medical and educational facilities, a hotel which is open to the public, and a gastronomic restaurant.
4. Its flat roof is designed as a communal terrace with sculptural ventilationstacks, a running track, a shallow paddling pool for children, and an open-air theatre.
5. The building is constructed in béton brut (rough-cast concrete).
Le Corbusier Architect
Unite D’habitation
Marseille 1947-1952
Notice the Uniqueness of this building….
piloties that aloude free circulation and abundant green spaces,The flat roof designed as a communal terrace, The Internal Street(third floor), with shops, medical and educational facilities….
Le Corbusier painted the apartments in different colors, to create an identity for each resident..
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Now let’s examine how Le Corbusier vision for the “Radiant City” and the”Unite D’habitation”
Inspired ,architectural projects, being built in our time….
renewable area (A “Radiant city”?) near Hong Kong’s airport ,
Built in recent years….
Where are the fresh air and greenery?
Where is the vertical garden city?
Where are the “green, landscaped spaces”?
Is this the “radiant city”Corbusier imagined?
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From Eliinbar’s Sketch book 2012 – Le Corbusier’s dream and broke the “radiant City”
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And this is a typical “Unite D’habitation” …. Hong Kong’s style….built in recent years.
Where are the raised up pilotis?
Where are the green landscape spaces?
Where are the communal terraces?
Is this the“Unite D’habitation” Corbusier imagined?
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What is remained from le Corbusier’s vision of the “Unite D’habitation”?….
A giant apartment-block with endless repetitive apartments,
Lacking uniqueness….
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From Eliinbar’s Sketch book 2012 – Le Corbusier’s dream and broke “Unite D’habitation”.
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And this is exactly a typical case of “Unconscious Inspiration”=
Getting inspired Unconsciously….
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This post is the first in a series of posts
I will present projects designed according to the principles of “Conscious Inspiration” and “Unconscious Inspiration” for you to judge….
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Check the NEW CONSCIOUS INSPIRATION PAGE
in my Facebook
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“Epilog”
I can’t finish this post with bad taste….
So what do you think about MVRDV’s Mirador residential building shown in the next image?
This apartment block is probably inspired from Le Corbusier’s Unite D’habitation ….is this an example of “Conscious Inspiration” or “Unconscious Inspiration” ?…… for you to judge….
Note for example, MVRDV’s innovative approach to the “communal terrace”….
MVRDV Architects
Mirador residential building
Sanchinarro Madrid-Spain
( in Collaboration with Blanca Lleo’ Asociados) 2001-2004
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MVRDV Architects Mirador residential building communal terrace
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You are invited to visit my relevant post and learn more about:
MVRDV & Le Corbusier and the ultimate inspirational roof terrace
https://archidialog.com/2011/12/05/
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Eliinbar sketches 2011 Le Corbusier’s ultimate inspirational roof terrace
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Conscious Inspiration Posts about Le Corbusier’s Ronchamp Chapel
Le Corbusiers’ – Ron Champ Chapel -“Conscios Inspiration”
https://archidialog.com/2010/08/30/
Le Corbusier Ronchamp Chapel ” Sacred Inspiration” 2
https://archidialog.com/2010/12/01/
Le Corbusier Ronchamp Chapel “Sacred Inspiraion”
https://archidialog.com/2010/11/28/l
Le Corbusier-Ronchamp Chapel “Conscious Inspiration” 2
https://archidialog.com/2010/11/24/
Zaha hadid and Le Corbusier ….Playing musical chairs….
https://archidialog.com/2012/07/30/
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Conscious Inspiration Posts about Le Corbusier’s la Tourette Monastery
Rafael Moneo’s and SANAA’s “Ideal Disorder Façades” ,The most common Inspiration source today….
https://archidialog.com/2012/09/09/
Le Corbusier La Tourette Monastery
https://archidialog.com/2010/03/08/
Le Corbusier – La Tourette Inspiration Sources – “Conscious Inspiration”
https://archidialog.com/2010/09/11/l
Le Corbusier & Tadao Ando “Conscious Inspiration”
https://archidialog.com/2011/02/19/l
La Tourette ” Conscios Inspiration” 2
https://archidialog.com/2010/09/20/
La Tourette – “Conscious Inspiration” 1
https://archidialog.com/2010/09/14/
La Tourette – Le Corbusier
https://archidialog.com/2010/09/05/
Le Corbusier is here…. and his alive ….
https://archidialog.com/2012/05/15/
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Conscious Inspiration Posts about Le Corbusier’s Unite D’habitation
MVRDV & Le Corbusier and the ultimate inspiration building, Le Corbusier’s “Unite D’habitation” in Marseille
https://archidialog.com/2011/11/28/
MVRDV & Le Corbusier and the ultimate inspirational roof terrace
https://archidialog.com/2011/12/05/
Bjarke Ingels Group – BIG…. the most Conscious Inspiration firm working today -Chapter two
https://archidialog.com/2012/05/23/
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Conscious Inspiration Posts about Le Corbusier’s Palace of the Assembly in Chandigarh
Le Corbusier…. Do we need more evidence that he is the most significant source of inspiration for architects, in the last century?
https://archidialog.com/2012/10/08/
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A “small talk” about “Conscious inspiration”
With the methodology of “conscious Inspiration”, we don’t need to be intimidated to get inspired from relevant buildings.
Be inspired consciously from existing buildings, and you will experience a unique design process that will serve your creative desires….
But first we must develop our “TOOLS” or in other words, our” Codex rules”….
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The abundance of information in the Web affects us all, as I illustrate in my posts.
I Believe that designing is a process formed from three main phases: knowledge, tools and invention.
“Knowledge”: as many said, and wrote before – Knowledge is the foundation for all designing process. We architects and designers are obliged to be informed about everything that was designed in the past and on a daily basis….
“Tools”: develop tools to analyze buildings and “Understand” them, tools that will cope with the abundance of architectural information…
(I intend to demonstrate some of my ideas in future posts)
“Invention”: with the methodology of “conscious Inspiration” , we don’t need to be intimidated to get inspired from relevant buildings. Once we develop our tools, it will lead us to high quality and creative architecture.
Eli Inbar
2 thoughts on “Le Corbusier’s “dream and broke”….”
Eli,
I am nothing but an architecture/engineering student but if it means anything to you, I completely agree with your 3 phases of design. It seems as though modern architects are only focused on the individual phases and not the system as a whole. These terms are much broader than the realm of architecture and must be related to the entire world we live in (whatever world that actually is). For architects, we must know ever aspect of what we are designing and who it is for. I believe Le Corbusier was not just focused on architecture and how to evolve it as an art form, but how can architecture change human life and how we live it. There is no question that his ideas and theories are being copied and manipulated in a deconstructive method. Openness and green space, as you suggest, is about freedom and peace while giving the public a sense of unification and pride. As a citizen of Chicago, IL, city life is very cold and harsh (not referring to the weather). People are willing to live their lives amongst strangers. No one anything interesting to say because no one leads an interesting life. To offer help to a stranger leads to a negative and fearful reaction. Life is short and precious and as a citizen in a city, of a state, of a country, of a continent, of a hemisphere, I live in a “world” that not only tries to separate individuals from each other, but is lead by people who thrive on its separation. Architecture and its theories do matter to the majority population of the world. Not only because they do not care about facades or ornament, but because finding sufficient shelter for their families is more important. Though I am young, and my views on architecture are liberal and much less disciplined than an established architect and theorist as yourself, we both know that Le Corbusier had an idea, and it was to make architecture something that started to save the world from continuing its attack on itself. Not just his world as a popular super architect that changed architecture itself, but the world of every living person. No one cares about how tall or what shape a building is, or what programs were incorporated inside if the majority of its inhabitants are the minority wealthy owners of the architecture that is designed. To incorporate Le Corbusier’s ideas into today’s architecture, we must design at no cost. We must use our knowledge to understand that the tools and invention architect’s are capable of are not intended for the use of the rich and powerful. They are there for the people who know the feeling of suffering and appreciate the beautiful. There is no need to entrust design to the bourgeois theories of upper-class who see design as “space” and “light.” Space is the area needed to for a family to be warm in the winter, and light is used for families at night to educate themselves. I will end this rant (if you, or anyone for that matter, is still reading) by saying that I am not typing this in hope that I will someday give architecture back to the people who need it, but that someday a student studying architecture will discover what I ( and whomever I can get to join me) have done to suggest change in architecture, and will be inspired to interpret and evolve in a way that actually pushes the true aim of what architecture is about. Le Corbusier didn’t work to have people idolize his projects and theory, he wanted architecture that made sense of the Earth he shared with humanity. If there is anything I can ask of you, its that you return my e-mail with your thoughts and opinions. You clearly see the intention and intelligence of Le Corbusier and I hope you can look past my youth and respect my opinion. There are very few people that I know that could take what I have written and understand the idea I am motivated by, but I trust you will see it with ease. I hope for the best, and I will continue reading your blog.
Cook
Bravo! Good job.