Modern Arch Since 1900 Ch10

le corbusier's quest for ideal form

Le corbusier was not interested in throwing out the past. Much inspired by it, he advocated taking the zest of it into a modern form. He respected buildings such as the parthenon as pinicale of a building form. One that brought an advanced language of the time together.

He was compelled to make large scheme designs where communities of people live in one area designed by him. Largely he had to compromise for the obvious reason that such grand schemes require people to comply and fund them. Most of his commissions were mostly wealthy people without the desire to fill their houses with lots of stuff. The houses were complete by themselves but showed signs they were just experiments that could be done on a larger scale.

The start of Le Corbusier's language is geometry. In isolation geometry is the basic unit of a language. Shapes mean nothing on their own but put in a cluster some thematic elements arrive based on their relation to others.

While he respected the past, there were traditional elements of building that were turned on it's head. Particular his diminution of the base of the building. Typically this is where the most functional rooms were like the kitchen. It was also where buildings were the most sturdiest. But Le Corbusier understated this part picturing a modern city where this space will be used to for things like traffic.

His approach to design praised function and economy as well as giving content. Especially in contrasting urban and rural aspects of houses.