AAR552_LECT3 CORBUSIER & WRIGHT

Functionalists to the International Style 1

Discussions - Failures of International Style Modern Movement (Int. Style) have contributed significant new architectural ideas and visions as its response to thetechnological advancement.

However, it has several key failures.   

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Technical Climate Cultural Social

Functionalists to the International Style 2

Technical 

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Speed construction but of low standard New techniques and materials were not tested adequately and hazardous to health

Functionalists to the International Style 3

Climate 

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Cheap means of heating and ventilation causing ‘greenhouse effects’ Ignore micro climate created by lower traditional buildings such as, shade, protection, warmth High modern buildings created wind turbulence at ground

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Cultural 

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Too obsessed with ‘machine aesthetic’ and ‘form follows function’ Ignorant on the values of tradition Eradicate old ideas with ‘new’ for control purposes

Functionalists to the International Style 5

Social 

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Egalitarian (Utopian ideas) are not achieved Still serves the elites and power Ordinary people have no choice, say and power

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Summary - Failures of International Style During the 1960s, the modernist vision was put into practice, and it failed. Modernist housing projects became vertical slums that were even worse than the old slums they replaced. ď ą

During the 1970s, modernism became the status quo, and it was oppressive. The glass and steel high rises towering over the old downtowns of our cities and the high-rise housing projects towering over old neighborhoods looked cold and impersonal – like the impersonal technological economy that produced them. ď ą

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Architecture of the 20th Century Le Corbusier ‘Machine’ & F. L. Wright ‘Organic’

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The master architects of the Modern Movement era

" I believe Le Corbusier and the group around him are extremely useful.

Extremely valuable, especially as an enemy."

Frank Lloyd Wright

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Le Corbusier Le Corbusier, the great Swiss Architect and city planner is often mistaken as being of French origin. 

In actuality, he was born on the 6th of October in 1887 as Charles Edouard Jeanneret in La Chaux-de-fonds, a watch-making city in Switzerland. 

He pioneered functionalist architecture with the use of reinforced concrete and the concept of a house as a "machine for living." He died in the Mediterranean in 1965. 

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He was an artists, painter, sculptor, writer, philosopher, guru…He was the most influential architect in the modern history.

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Early exposure in architecture in 1908-09 when he work in the office Auguste Perret in Paris. There he learnt about reinforced concrete from the master builder.

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Soon, he moved to Berlin to work in the office of Peter Behren. Learnt how design can be synchronized with the industrial mass production.

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1913, back to Paris. Invented Purism- a concept of combination between pure form and other typical shapes with machine produced artifact.

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His early years career took into 4 directions, 

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Mass housing Urban planning The International Style years Aggressive, anti rational and sculptural

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Mass Housing 

Dom-ino Housing scheme,1914-15

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To produce fast, cheap and basic housing scheme

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Corbu first attempt on rationalization and total functionality

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Citrohan House,1921 Reflection of his love toward cars and machines

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Citrohan House,1921 “each element of the house has been reduced to its bare functional essentials, to become a “machine for living in”

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Corbusier, Pessac, Bordeaux,1925

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Corbusier, Pessac, Bordeaux,1925

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Le Corbusier on Urban Planning, 

Actively published his idea on urban planning.

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His main idea was high rises uniformly arranged symmetrically in town center with less dominant buildings and traffic systems in the outskirt.

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Corbusier, Ville Contemporaine, City for 3 million people,1922 His solution on his hatred toward irrational city like Paris

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Corbusier, Plan Voisin, Paris,1925

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‘sun,space,verdure (greenery)’

Ville Radieuse (Shining City),1930-38

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“Town planning expresses the life of an era. Architecture reveals its spirit.

Some men have original ideas and are kicked in the a** for their pains” Le Corbusier on his bitterness towards his critics

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1920-25 – co-editor of the journal L’Esprit Nouveau (the new spirit) from which Vers une Architecture (5 Points of a New Architecture) emerged.

Le Corb himself called the principles ‘a fundamentally new aesthetic’

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‘A house is a machine for living in’ Functional  Fulfill the requirements of the users  Beauty through right proportion 

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Corbusier, House on Lake Lemano, Swiss,1924

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Five Points of a New Architecture (Vers une Architecture),

The support on pilotis  The roof garden  Free and open plan  The ribbon window  Free composition of the facade 

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Corbusier,de l’esprit Nouveau, Paris,1924-25-(Replica)

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Ville Stein, Garches, 1927

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Corbusier, Villa Savoye, Poissy, 1929

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Corbusier, Villa Savoye, Poissy, 1929

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UN Headquarters and Secretariat, NY,1947

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UN Headquarters and Secretariat, NY,1947

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Corbusier, Unite de’Habitation, Marseilles,1946-52

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Le Corb ideas on Unite d’Habitation,  

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Anti rational, sculptural and aggressive Concrete and texture The idea of BETON BRUT (naked/raw concrete) which later evolved into Brutalism Dimension and proportion based on Le Modular The idea of maisonette and BRISE SOLEIL Attempt to resolved housing problems

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le Modulor System

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Roof garden, Unite de’Habitation, Marseilles,1946-52

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Roof garden, Unite de’Habitation, Marseilles,1946-52

Le Corbusier ‘Machine’ & F. L. Wright ‘Organic’

Other views, Unite de’Habitation, Marseilles,1946-52

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Plastic, organic,sculptural RC shell for roof Le Modular system

Ronchamp Chapel, Belfort, 1950-54

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‘the requirements of religion have had little effect on the design; the form was an answer to a psychophysiology of the feelings’

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This photograph depicts a view of the exterior near the entrance of the Philips Pavilion at the Exposition Universelle et Internationale de Bruxelles in 1958

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The Philips Pavilion was more than a building at the fair -- it was a multimedia experience displaying the technological prowess of the Philips company by combining light, sound, and color. Le Corbusier, commissioned as architect for the project, named the building with music composed by Edgar Varèse "Poème électronique."

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The Capitol, Chandigarh, India,1951-65

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The Capitol, Chandigarh, India,1951-65

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High Court, Chandigarh, India,1951-65

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Frank Lloyd Wright 

The most outstanding American architect in the modern history of architecture.

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Born in 1867 at Wisconsin, USA

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Study engineering at University of Wisconsin but drop out. He soon worked in the office of architect John Lyman Silsbee temporarily.

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1887- He joined Adler & Sullivan in Chicago.

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Wright is fascinated with the ‘Froebel’ blocks that give him design inspirations on,   

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undifferentiated unity volume, color, pattern, silhouette, constructions

and structure

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The idea of ‘organic’ derives from the ‘prairies’ landscape “A building is only organic when the exterior and the interior exists in unison, and when both are in harmony with the character and nature of its purpose, its reason for existence, its location and the time of its creation” The ‘prairie’ in mid-west America

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Principles of Organic architecture 1. Horizontality

2. Sympathy with the site

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5. character

3. Domestic symbolism

4. Truth to materials

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Wright’s career – ‘Prairies years’ 

Open up a studio in Oak Park, Chicago 1895 A Prairie house is based on the concept of organic architecture: “…built with the nature, inspired by the shapes of nature. Built houses must grow from the earth, not simply sit on earth….”

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Characteristics of Prairie Houses,   

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Asymmetrical plans Strong axis Façade as clue of internal space layout Strong horizontal elements Low pitch roof and deep overhang Wide horizontal windows Terrace and garden blended in unity Fire place as heart of the house

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Frank L. Wright, Robie House, Chicago, 1906

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Frank L. Wright, Robie House, Chicago, 1906

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Frank L. Wright, Robie House, Chicago, 1906

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Frank L. Wright, Robie House, Chicago, 1906

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Wright’s careers: Expressive years after Prairies 

Period of daring architectural experimentation and expressiveness through ornamentation

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Besides the cantilevered principles, Wright used reinforced cement and decorated cement block with relief design reminiscent of pre-columbian central american mayan frieze decoration.

Chicago School Early Chicago 

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In the late 18th and early 19th century, many buildings in Chicago city were built using traditional methods. Stone, masonry and wood was the main structural materials rather than steel and iron In 1871, there was a great fire that destroyed many buildings in Chicago Thus, Chicago needed to rebuilt its city quickly to maintain its role as the main economic route in the Mid-America

Chicago School Rebuilding Chicago 

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Chicago was able to rebuild its city with new high rise buildings that would save time, money and space This was due to the development of modern building technology and services such as hydraulic elevators, telecommunication and air conditioning Iron and steel become an important structural materials

Chicago School Louis Sullivan 

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‘Form follows function’ emphasises on the importance of honesty in the expression of building structure and its function Sullivan also emphasise the importance of ‘organic principles’ – the work of art like in plants should be from inner force/essence and not mechanical imposed This becomes the key principle in designing an attractive yet practical highrise or skyscrapers

Chicago School

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Guaranty Building by Sullivan

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Some interesting characteristics, 

Modern podium

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Free standing column surrounded by glass skin

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Terra cotta sheathing

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Middle east motives and ornaments

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Frank L. Wright, Midway Gardens, Chicago,1913

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“a synthesis of planting, furnishing, music, painting and sculpture, all to be one…”

Frank L. Wright, Midway Gardens, Chicago,1913

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Frank L. Wright (FLW),Imperial Hotel, Tokyo,1916-20

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Frank L. Wright (FLW),Imperial Hotel, Tokyo,1916-20

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FLW, Millard House, Pasadena,1921-3

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3 types of precast concrete block were used, no-relief, with reliefs and punch through reliefs

FLW, Dr. Storer House, Hollywood,1924

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FLW, Taliesin East, Wisconsin,1925

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FLW, Taliesin East, Wisconsin,1925

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FLW, Taliesin Winter Camp (West), Scotsdale, Arizona, 1927

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FLW, Taliesin Winter Camp (West), Scotsdale, Arizona, 1927

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FLW, Broadacre City,1935

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SELF-SUSTAIN LIVING CONCEPT THROUGH AGRICULTURAL ECONOMY

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1 ACRE LAND FOR EVERY FAMILY

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ANTI-URBAN

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LACK OF SOCIAL INTERACTION

FLW, Broadacre City,1935

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FLW, Broadacre City,1935

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Wright’s – the Glory Years

FLW, Johnson Wax Building,Racine,WI,1936-9

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A METAPHOR OF A TREE

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OPEN PLANNING

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MUSHROOM COLUMNS

FLW, Johnson Wax Building,Racine,WI,1936-9

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FLW, Falling Water, Bear Run, Penn,1937-39

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The "Usonian" house was developed by Wright as a means of providing affordable housing for people of moderate means. 

Many innovative concepts, including spacious interiors, corner windows and a cantilevered roof, began here and were quickly adapted across America. 

Today the house can be viewed as an origin of ideas that have influenced modern American homes. 

Model of a Usonian House

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FLW, Winkler/Groetsch House, Okemos, MI, 1939

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FLW, Pope House, Washington DC, 1940

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FLW, Reisley House, Pleasantville, NY, 1951

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Wright’s – the Final Years

FLW, Guggenheim Museum, NY, 1943-56

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FLW, Guggenheim Museum, NY, 1943-56

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FLW, Price Tower, Bartlesville. OK, 1955

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Return of the ornamentation

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Shapes of rounds and circles

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Contradictions from his original ‘organic’ design approach

FLW, Marine County Civic Center, San Rafael, CA,1959-64

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Summary – ‘Corbusian machine ’

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Principles of Machine

The support on pilotis  The roof garden  Free and open plan  The ribbon window  Free composition of the facade 

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Summary – ‘Wrightian organic’

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THE END