French Architecture 1889 to 1986 Christina Acosta Arch 12 Summer 2013 Project #2
• Eiffel Tower (1889): 48°51’29.80” N, 2°17’39.31” E; 648 feet above sea level • Castel Beranger (1898): 48°51’08.58” N, 2°16’29.05” E; 132 feet above sea level • Chapelle Notre Dame du Haut (1955): 47°42’12.30” N, 6°37’15.07” E; 1479 feet above sea level • Centre Georges Pompidou (1977): 48°51’38.31” N, 2°21’08.08” E; 259 feet above sea level • Musee d’Orsay; Previously Gare d’Orsay (1986): 48°51’35.86” N, 2°19’35.62” E; 206 feet above sea level
Introduction
French Architecture from 1889 to 1986 During 1889 to 1986, many talented architects created some spectacular, innovative, and unusual structures that have forever changed the landscape of France and have contributed to important architectural and engineering developments. My five structures exhibit glorious, innovative structures that are excellent examples of France’s architectural prowess from 1889 to 1986. Each has made a significant contribution to the field of architecture. The Eiffel Tower is an unusually beautiful and memorable historical landmark that achieved unprecedented height for a manmade structure. The famous historical monument used an open iron framework and has become forever tied to the Paris skyline. It remained the world’s tallest structure until 1930. Guimard’s Castel Beranger marks the beginning of the French Art Nouveau movement. His use of unique organic designs was in direct contrast to the Neoclassical style typically found in French architecture during this time period. Chapelle Notre Dame du Haut is an example of Le Corbusier’s later organic and austere style, which used a primitive sculptural design and many curvilinear lines. This was an unusual style for religious architecture, which typically used rectilinear lines and was often overly decorated. The building replaces an earlier 4 th century Christian chapel destroyed in World War II. The structure must be seen in its entirety from all sides to be fully appreciated. Centre Georges Pompidou is a massive ultra-contemporary cultural complex that displays one of the most distinctive architectural designs in the world. Centre Pompidou is a premiere, multicultural center in the heart of Paris where art, culture, and social interaction are brought together in one locale. With its color-coded utilitarian features on its exterior façade, the interior space is left open for exhibitions, events, and other cultural and social activities. In 1900, the Gare d’Orsay was considered a masterpiece of industrial architecture. In the 1970s, French president Pompidou ordered the train station renovated and resurrected into a museum that would hold 19 th and 20th century art. It was converted into a famous, breathtaking art museum that holds the world’s largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art.
Eiffel Tower Architect: Gustave Eiffel and Stephen Sauvestre. Year completed: 1889 Original use: It was built as a temporary structure for the Exposition Universelle of 1889 in Paris to commemorate the 100 th anniversary of the French Revolution. Current use: It is a famous French landmark, architectural monument, and tourist attraction. Having had over 250 million visitors to date, it is considered the world’s most visited landmark. Over seven million people visit it annually. Today, in addition to being a popular tourist attraction, the Eiffel Tower serves an important role in television and radio broadcasts.
Eiffel Tower
1. Originally, the tower was erected as a temporary structure to be dismantled after 20 years. However, it was saved because its unprecedented height made it invaluable as a radio tower and wireless telegraph transmitter. In World War I, it was used to communicate with ships in the Atlantic Ocean and intercept enemy messages. 2. A main exhibit and the entrance arch for the Exposition Universelle of 1889 in Paris, the tower was constructed to commemorate the 100 th anniversary of the French Revolution and to demonstrate France’s industrial prowess to the world. 3. Latticed wrought iron was used to construct the tower. This material proved to be lighter, but as strong as stone. The use of wrought iron was later used by Eiffel to construct the Statue of Liberty. 4. The Eiffel Tower remained the world’s tallest building until 1930. When it was being built, many from the artistic community pleaded with the French government to stop its construction since they believed it to be structurally unsound, an eye sore, and much too costly to build. In 1889, Gustave Eiffel erected the tower, financing three-fourths of it using his own funds. In exchange, the French government allowed Eiffel to operate it for 20 years and charge visitors admission to see it to recoup his costs. This deal made Eiffel a very wealthy man.
Castel Beranger Architect: Hector Guimard Date completed: 1898 Original use: Guimard was at the forefront of the French Art Nouveau movement. Castel Beranger was a 36-unit apartment building built in the new Art Nouveau style. Current use: This is currently an apartment building. Since the 1960s, many art historians have praised Guimard’s work for its forward thinking creativity and decorative style. He is considered the most well-known French Art Nouveau architect.
Castel Beranger
1.
In 1898, Castel Beranger won the competition for best façade erected in Paris. This led to his receiving other commissions using the Art Nouveau style. Between 1900 and 1904, Guimard designed 141 entrances to the Paris Metro.
2.
Showing true originality, Guimard developed an interesting, organic style that was heavily influenced by nature and medieval style. He used flowing lines, aggressive curves, and organic shapes in his designs. He was concerned with how the the structure related to light and the contrast of the different materials being used.
3. Since Guimard studied in Great Britain and enjoyed the English Arts and Crafts style, his style shows this influence. Also, Victor Horta and Viollet-le-Duc influenced Guimard’s style. Guimard became a major representative of Art Nouveau in Paris, and Art Nouveau played a major role in the development of graphic design. 4.
Guimard believed in the total design of a building and the unity of all its elements. The structure, interior design, and furnishings of Castel Beranger, incorporate a mixture of urban and rustic styles successfully mixed together in perfect harmony. Guimard designed each detail of the structure, including its wallpaper, door handles, floor tiles, and front door. Interestingly, no two units of the building are the same.
Chapelle Notre Dame du Haut Architect: Charles Edouard Jeanneret; he changed his name to Le Corbusier Date completed: 1955 Original use: It is a monumental pilgrimage chapel/Roman Catholic church that sits on a hilltop high above the village of Ronchamp. Current use: Church and tourist attraction
Chapelle Notre Dame du Haut
1.
The chapel, located high above the village in Ronchamp, is a spectacular example of 20 th century religious architecture. The chapel replaces a 4th century Christian chapel that was destroyed during World War II. The structure and furnishings utilize a Modernist style that relates to the landscape.
2.
Le Corbusier uses both light and raw concrete in nontraditional ways in this beautiful, austere structure. Light plays an important role in the chapel’s design. Since the church is fairly dark, the chapel’s design creates drama via the entering light. Additionally, the play of light in the darkness emphasizes the space’s sacredness.
3.
Le Corbusier’s heavy use of curvilinear lines appears sculptural and somewhat primitive. The walls, roof, and floors curve, which creates interesting shapes and allows for the needed acoustics. The use of concrete allowed the construction of many curvilinear shapes. The structure is supported by concrete columns, not the walls themselves. This design created a roof that seems to float above the walls.
4.
The chapel incorporates interesting, unusual architectural elements. The chapel’s shape is based on its relationship to the landscape. Each façade provides the visitor a different perception of the building based on the angle in which he or she sees it, while maintaining harmony, unity, dynamism, and movement. The chapel’s design forces the visitor to walk around the chapel to fully appreciate it.
Centre Georges Pompidou Architects: Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers Year completed: 1977 Original use: This is a massive cultural center. The complex includes an impressive museum of modern art, large reference library, center for industrial design, film museum, center for music and acoustic research, and many other structures that encourage cultural and social interaction. Current use: This is a popular cultural center, which incorporates many diverse functions, the most popular of which is its modern art museum. Year round, street performers and portraitists can be seen in the plaza in front of the art museum.
Centre Georges Pompidou
1. Centre Pompidou is a popular multicultural center in the heart of Paris where art, culture, and social interaction are brought together in one locale. The center was designed as an artistic hub and meeting place that includes a wide variety of social and cultural activities, including an important modern art museum, film museum, huge library, music center, restaurants, cinema, bookstores, and other structures. The complex offers innovative avant-garde music composition and carries out research in music technology. A full schedule of concerts features avant-garde and 21st century composers. 2. Centre Pompidou is a massive ultra-contemporary cultural complex displaying one of the world’ most distinctive architectural designs. It is an overpowering, high-tech architectural space that utilizes a bold “exo-skeletal” architecture that contrasts sharply with its surroundings. Its unconventional industrial looking exterior façade displays its utilitarian features like pipes, air ducts, water, electricity, escalators, and elevators in bright colors, color-coded by function. This design leaves the interior space open for exhibitions, events, and other activities. 3. The building came in under its $100 million budget. It is a popular meeting place with over 150 million visitors to date; it has an average annual attendance of seven million people. 4. One of the main attractions at the Pompidou Centre is the National Center of Modern Art, which houses over 65,000 artworks from 1905 onward. The museum hosts many groundbreaking modern art exhibits. Since the Pompidou Centre is devoted to emerging arts and artists, it is constantly evolving and stretching its boundaries and offerings.
Musee d’Orsay Gare d’Orsay architects: Lucient Magne, Victor Laloux, and Émile Bénard. Musee d’Orsay architects: Pierre Colboc, Renaud Bardon, Jean-Paul Philippon, and Gae Aulenti. Date completed: 1900 for Gare d’Orsay, the railway station; 1986 for the art museum. Original use: The museum is housed in the former Gare d’Orsay location, a Beaux-Arts railway station that was built for the 1900 Exposition Universelle. The new architects created 20,000 square meters of new floor space on four floors by converting the former railway station into an art museum to house 19 th and 20th century art. Current use: It has become a world famous art museum displaying 19th and early 20th century art. In 2011, it reopened all of its renovated spaces, which included new rooms for artwork, temporary exhibitions, and its new aquatic decoration.
Musee d’Orsay
1.
The French government saved the gorgeous Beaux-Arts railway station from demolition and decided to convert it into a museum to hold 19th and 20th century art. In 1978, the station was put on a list of French historic monuments. The building itself was considered the new museum’s first work of art.
2.
The museum houses six different collections (painting, photography, graphic art, architecture, sculpture and other objects of art), which mainly came from three different museums: the Louvre Museum, the Musée du Jeu de Paume, and the National Museum of Modern Art. It houses the world’s largest collection of paintings, sculpture, and decorative objects produced between 1848 and 1914. It also holds the world’s largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art.
3.
Both natural and artificial light are used in the space in order to create the proper light needed for the different art works to best be presented. The architects who renovated the space were chosen because they would respect Laloux’s original architecture while beautifully reinterpreting it for its new function.
4.
It includes an enviable collection of famous artwork from such luminaries as Degas, Rodin, Monet, Manet, Renoir, Cezanne, Seurat, Sisley, Gauguin, and van Gogh. Due to acquisitions and gifts, the museum has significantly expanded its space and collections since it first opened.