Contents 3: What is modernism? 4: St.Phillips cathedral 5: The Bauhaus 6-10: Chapel de Ronchamps presentation slides 11: Chapel de Ronchamps text
12: Le Corbusier notes 13: Manifesto 14: Task 7– Referencing task 15-17: Essay writing pack 18: Essay plan
What is modernism? There is very little out there to correctly describe the term ‘modern’ or ‘modernism’ apart from the fact it is very much described as a movement. The definition is very ambiguous and s interpreted very differently, some definitions say that it is a modification of out of date traditional beliefs to suit a new world changed by war. And some say that modernism is to disregard traditional forms within the arts.(tate.org). The modernist attitude to rejecting traditional, sometimes, religious beliefs to suit a new society are seen in the works of preRaphaelites, who disregard religious beliefs and show more scientific ways. Science and new findings in the 1850s and onwards really shaped modernism as science created new attitudes and new ways of doing things and really instigated the change in society which helped form modernism. A key feature in modern work is that there is experimental influences which help create them. Pre-Raphaelite artwork:
Modernism is used to describe a movement which marked the use of arts and crafts to manufacturing, for example Morris and co is a modern furniture company which was birthed from skilled artisan work heavily involved in arts and crafts. It is thought that global pressures formed modernism which shapes everything that we see today, a particular turning point was the first world war. One thing that the war changed was the way things were made and the speed in which things needed to be made. The war led to a surge in improvements to technology in factories and the way which factories were run. This introduced mass production to the world. It is thought that this production style and importance of speed meant that most goods and products began to change shape and style as they were given a simpler aesthetic and shape which aided mass production. These simpler features in products and the loss of Artisan skills that were showcased in traditional goods production is a style in which we would recognise as modern.
For the modernist movement to grow and branch into different disciplines like furniture and architecture for example, People would need to adopt the new style and move it along. This was done by many skilled artists and designers, before, during and after the war, who would often travel from key European cities to major cities in America like Chicago and LA. Many people travelled this way after the White terror atrocities in the Balkans. Modernism was a growing movement in America, and this helped inspire these artists and designers who pushed modernism globally. In America Modernism had really begun to shape their architecture due to the pressures set by bustling cities. In cities like Chicago, real estate prices began to rise while the population was growing while the cities size didn’t, cities became more densely populated. The increased commercial nature in America made for investments in manufacturing, and with that came more robust materials like, steel and iron. This then meant that architects had greater vertical possibilities. Vertical advances began to shape modern architecture. It began to be seen in Paris, with the Eiffel tower and Brussels where plots were small but population big. This lead to height and the use of natural light in buildings, which meant a very familiar modern use of glass in atriums for the first time. Because Modernism is a large movement, it is this that makes it hard to define it as modernism is a combination of many things. The movement is a combination of society change, technological and manufacturing advancements, solving problems caused by environmental pressures and the movement of disregarding or manipulating traditional beliefs and ways of doing things, like art, to better suit a changed society.
St Phillips cathedral Burne-jones stain glass windows In St Philips cathedral, central Birmingham, there a large prominent stain glass windows that are both practical and aesthetically pleasing. The large windows on the East faรงade. The largest window on the faรงade, known as the ascension window, takes up almost the whole central wall which allows a tremendous amount of natural light to enter the main service space. The window uses very strong reds and blues. The image in the glass depicts a crowd of women surrounding Christ. The windows were designed by pre-Raphaelite Burne-Jones, someone who was born and raised in Birmingham, in partnership with William Morris, the ascension window was installed in 1885. The windows were crafted by William Morris and co. The realism achieved in stain glass for this age is amazing and shows greatness in both design and craftsmanship. http://www.birminghamcathedral.com/windows/
Bauhaus style Furniture
Chaise Longue, Le Corbusier I like this piece because its shape, shows the thought put into this piece’s function. Following this I like the curved aluminium due to the contrast it creates amongst the bold ridged lines on the other areas of the chair. I think this piece follows the Bauhaus ethos because it has a lack of ornamentation and it’s design shows a clear relationship between form and function.
Barcelona chair and ottoman, Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe I like this piece by Van Der Rohe because it’s minimal approach creates an interesting aesthetic. It’s metal frame looks almost self supporting, further pushing it’s interesting aesthetic. I also like the relationship in style between both the chair and ottoman, in formation; even though the pieces are separate the curves of the metal feet on the pieces appear to be in a continuing flow. This piece has a very minimalist approach as well as harnessing bold ridged and curved lines. As a result of these characteristics I feel the piece is successful in translating the Bauhaus ethos.
I like this chair because it’s simple lines have created a design that appears much more complicated and interesting. I also enjoy that the back of the chair continues to the floor and holds it’s design. The chairs lack of rigidness shows a minimalist approach to it’s design and this piece has some of the boldest lines of any Bauhaus furniture piece, it’s simple coloration in addition to these other features show a clear consciousness of the Bauhaus ethos in it’s design.
High back chair, Charles Rennie Mackintosh I feel this building shows influence of the Bauhaus ethos due to it’s simple and bold colour scheme, As well as it’s coloration the squareness of the building shows me that there is a minimalist approach to line and shape in design and I feel this shows Bauhaus influence. I can also see it’s influence in it’s minimalist approach to ornamentation and it’s use of bold line.
Chapel Of Notre Dame Du Haut, Ronchamp
Group Members Daniel Reeves Ben Muoka Sanmar Aungon Uswatta Issuru Khadijah Mubarak Thilini Wijesekera Kyle Conway
Concept His idea was to build an enclosure in which the material is presented in all its purity. A place to meditate and where the sound and the spaces prominence acquired were free of any additions. Sought a dialogue of matter and light. The dominance of the curves and the kit makes the Ronchamp a single work. The contrast in colour between the walls and the deck joined the curvilinear motion of the elements and the elevation of the deck with respect to the walls makes the play acquires a spirituality and an elevation insurmountable. Le Corbusier took five years to build the Ronchamp, was one of the projects they worked more deeply, to follow staff works.
Does it meet the 5 points of modern architecture? • The structure does not use a Pillotis system however its technique does achieve the feature of free space that the pillotis system would achieve. There is an absence of a roof garden however it does use its space very well and carefully, which is the whole aim of a roof garden. It has a bold façade and is free in which described in le Corbusier’s 5 points for modern architecture. The building doesn’t use horizontal strip windows but its multiple windows allow in plenty of natural light like horizontal strip windows would. The building doesn’t strictly follow the 5 points and fails to literally use them, however it does have features which achieve the targets of the points i.e natural light and free space.
HISTORY ON CHAPEL OF NOTRE DAME DU HAUT The first traces of habitation on the hill date to Antiquity. The Romans probably set up a camp there point overlooking Germania. A sanctuary dedicated to the Holy Mary could have replaced a pagan altar. During the Middle ages a parish church of Ronchamp and the neighbouring villages was dedicated to Our Lady of September (marking the Nativity of the Virgin Mary on 8th. September). But with the construction of a new church in the village centre in the eighteenth century, the chapel on the top of the hill became a pilgrimage chapel and was then called the chapel of Our Lady of the Heights (Notre-Dame du Haut). During the French Revolution, the chapel was sold as a national property, but forty families in Ronchamp decided to buy it in 1799 in order to restore its original spiritual vocation. Since then, the chapel has been private property, attached by convention to the Diocese of Besancon, which appoints a chaplain, as well as priests in the village.
In the nineteenth century, the Bishop of Besancon took care to beautify and to enlarge this place of pilgrimage. In 1913, however, a fire partly destroyed it. Rebuilt in 1920, the chapel was once again severely damaged by bombing during the liberation struggles in September 1944. The chapel of Notre-Dame du Haut retains a many-coloured wooden statue of the Virgin dating from the end of the 17th. century; and its walls, wrapped in concrete, are built with stones from the old church. There are sixteen fortified concrete pillars that carry the shell of the roof. A manifesto of modern sacred architecture, the chapel of NotreDame du Haut is a fine example of the material union between past and present.
Relation to site/ location This chapel stands at the top of a hilltop in the Vosges mountains in France. It has a great view of many valleys of evergreen. History says that the site where Chapel of notre dame du-haut stands used to be the location of a pilgrimage chapel dedicated to Virgin Mary during the pre-Christian times. This was unfortunately destroyed in the second world war. This was a great site to place the chapel of Notre Dame and Le Corbusier grabbed the opportunity and was able to capture the spirit of the location. This site was a great choice to build the chapel of ronchamp as it had “historical legacy� which built up the different layers of the hill’s terrain, such as the Romans and sun worshippers. References-
Www.utilityarchitecture.com/chapel-notre-dame-du-haut Book- Form and meaning in the work of late Le Corbusier, William Curtis, pg 419420
MATERIALS
Exterior
The walls are thick and curved shaped. Corbusier has spent months to design the buttress shaped south wall. The large shell of the concrete roof makes the building look massive. The walls are designed in complexed shapes to go with the theme Acoustic Parabolas. Especially the east wall has been designed to reflect the sound from the outside altar for the pilgrims gathered on the hill.
There are two smaller chapels at the sides of the main space. The windows are in an irregular arrangement. The windows are glazed with a mixture of clear and coloured glass.
Spatial Layout • The interior of the chapel has a rather simplistic design. The building consists of two entrances, three chapels and an alter outside. • One of the most unique aspects of the building is the southern wall of the chapel. This wall is decorated with 27 windows that are in various different depth and sizes with some coloured glass and some clear. This creates a bright atmosphere when the sunlight casts through them. • The main pieces of furniture in the building are the wooden pews in the chapel for the worshippers.
Presentation text:
The chapel de Ronchamp was a five-year build, designed by Le Corbusier. Corbusier designed the ronchamps with certain principles in mind, he wished to create a building which held purity of the material it is constructed of, as well as creating an interior space suitable for meditation and a space which holds the sites natural noise. The hill on which the chapel is built on has rich religious history, a history which has changed through time, since it’s time as a speculated roman camp to the middle ages where a small parish church was built. During the French revolution, the church was sold as national property until in 1799 when families in Ronchamp bought it to protect the religious meaning of the build. After a fire early in the 20th century, it was rebuilt only to be damaged again during liberation in 1944. To this day the chapel retains religious artefacts and the same pillars used in its previous embodiments. The walls are thick and curved shaped. Corbusier has spent months to design the buttress shaped south wall. The large shell of the concrete roof makes the building look massive. The walls are designed in complexed shapes to go with the theme Acoustic Parabolas. Especially the east wall has been designed to reflect the sound from the outside altar for the pilgrims gathered on the hill. A key and most noticeable feature of the chapel is it’s arrangement of windows which create a greatly interesting pattern of light within the space this design shows great relation between exterior and interior. The building’s interior and spatial layout is completely simple with, it’s only furniture being it’s wooden pews. The floor plan holds very little but the pews but creates huge space in the main area with that south wall and it’s windows filling the space with atmospheric light. The structure does not use a Pillotis system however its technique does achieve the feature of free space that the pillotis system would achieve. There is an absence of a roof garden however it does use its space very well and carefully, which is the whole aim of a roof garden. It has a bold façade and is free in which described in le Corbusier’s 5 points for modern architecture. The building doesn’t use horizontal strip windows but its multiple windows allow in plenty of natural light like horizontal strip windows would. The building doesn’t strictly follow the 5 points and fails to literally use them, however it does have features which achieve the targets of the points i.e natural light and free space.
Le Corbusier notes: Highly inspired by his travels around the world. In 1908 he worked with August- Perret, in Paris where he was introduced to new materials like reinforced concrete. A material we see used in Corbusier’s work on the chapel de Ronchamps. Was massively inspired by his French architectural surroundings, In France he was also exposed to new spatial organisation through using French doors etc. These influences had great impact on his scheme for the domino house project. Corbusier suggested a pillotis system, non-load bearing walls, flexibility wihin the floor plan, standardised elements and mass production. By 1917, he returned to painting in Paris and began to derive Purism from Cubism with Ozeufant, they rejected some cubist factors and showed the third dimension in their work, and suggested a mathematical order to fragmentation. Corbusier later went on to suggest 5 points for a new style of Architecture: Pillotis Roof garden Free plan Horizontal strip windows Free façade
Ronchamps: Chapel de notre damn of 1950-4 stands on top of a hill in the Vosges mountains. It has a dark roof with pointed angle and complicated curves and sits on top of battered rubble. It has a south wall littered with small windows embedded in the white gunnite concrete. The interior is hollowed out like a cave and it’s floors are sloping towards the altar. There is a slight gap between wall and roof so a small crack of sunlight can enter the space. Perception of interior and exterior space changes as a person moves through it. Outside the East wall there is an open air altar, a grass platform that spans from building to the edge of a hill creates an outside chapel in touch with it’s surrounding nature. Corbusier’s design captures the spirit of the site left by previous chapels that were either destroyed or removed. The building was targeted by many critics and created controversy focussed around the builds mannerisms and the effect it could have on modern architecture.
Task 7: referencing Find out examples of the types of sources you are likely to need and write them below:
Frampton.K. Modern (1992) Architecture- A critical history (3rd edition). London. Thames and Husdon Williams.M. http://www.wsj.com/articles/ SB10000872396390443884104577645731628287166 (2012)
Ward G.C. Frank Lloyd Wright (1998 film) America.
Find out how the in-text citation works for your referencing system- are you supposed to include something in the text? Make notes: Harvard referencing system. Directional and non-directional quotes, leave the title of source in brackets after quotation as well as footnote referencing bibliography. How is this information arranged in your bibliography? The sources are ordered alphabetically by author
Examples arranged in bibliography format:
Frampton.K Modern (1992) Architecture- A critical history (3rd edition). London. Thames and Husdon Gemma / Victoria lecture information Ward G.C.Frank Lloyd Wright (1998 film) America. Williams.M http://www.wsj.com/articles/ SB10000872396390443884104577645731628287166 (2012) America
This worksheet has helped me, as it made me consider how to reference correctly, especially with more ambiguous sources like websites etc. The nature of the worksheet highlighted issues I may come across like problems with quality of sources and therefore made me solve the problems so I can be successful in referencing my essay.
Essay writing pack:
Task 9: Plan Introduction: Prairie house features Little detail on FLW life and how it may affect his work Introduce paragraph themes: japan, Sullivan, blocks, transcendentalists, parents- music and nature and Chicago. Outline the prairie houses I can use to analyse his work Context: 1908 Japanese immigration to the us is limited Technological advancements in car and air travel, modern travel, modern living? Lead up to prohibition Poverty Main body: Japan- Art, design, horizontal lines, cruciform Chicago- his own house, own practice freedom to design how he wanted, ornament, gothic style Nature- his mother, plains influence the buildings and gardens he built, Sullivan Froebel gifts- geometric shape, bold line, simple form heller and husser house Transcendentalists- reject ornament exhausted in the western world, line, simplicity Book he read ( grammar of ornament) Louis Sullivan- admired the way Sullivan thought more than his design ‘architecture must express the environment from which it grows’. Sullivan form follows function, FLW- unity of form and function’ Adler- transcendentalist etc Conclusion: The conclusion will include an argument about what influenced his prairie house style the most using the information that I have discussed in my main paragraphs. Bibliography: I will quote all sources that have helped me build context i.e books, lectures, journals and will also quote books that I have either directly or indirectly quoted that gave evidence to support my ideas or have provided me with information to help build a theme.
Bibliography Lectures and seminar handouts Www.tate.org.uk http://www.birminghamcathedral.com/windows/
Illustrations: Pre-raphaelite artwork from page 2: www.tate.org.uk Window images from page 4:http:// www.birminghamcathedral.com/windows/ Page 5 images http://www.bonbon.co.uk/classic/