Carpenter Centre for the Visual Arts Le Corbusier Group7- Sarah Heffer, Justin Tan, Laura Rokaite, Connor Waters
Context: Location of the Site
Concepts Circulation through the building and the initial ramp idea.
Reproduction of the initial parti sketch (above) as done by Le Corbusier highlights how the ramp was an initial idea and the pilotis was present from the beginning. The idea for the circulation of the building came from the concept of lungs, the blood flowing into the arteries and swelling into the lungs which are shown in the building as the studio spaces. The layout clearly reflects the lung structure.
The building is located within the traditional background of the Georgian setting in Harvard University. The Carpenter Centre greatly contrasts the surrounding buildings and links the two sides of the street. Le Corbusier noticed how slim the site was and saw how Harvard considered the arts as a less important element to their university, thus he made the ramp to link the two sides of the street and bring people into the arts centre.
The journey is a key aspect to the design of this building as the movement through the ramp was greatly considered.
The Ramp
Abstract Model
Axonometry
Section A-A
Plan
We created this abstract model out of a polystrene cube and a ramp. The ramp is the main idea of the building and so we wanted this to be the focus of the model. It clearly runs through the main part of the building and the structure revolves and grows out of this.
The ramp flows through the building causing the journey to begin through the building, from the ramp the interior is glazed and you can look into the work and exhibition spaces surrounding, this is the original ramp seen in the parti diagram. In plan the ramp is made for the perfect modular man, a main concept of Le Corbusier’s work, it is 1.83m wide, the height of the modular man. The layout is very geometric and organic, the lungs are fully emcompassed. The ramp enters on the third floor, and links the two streets together, orignally the idea was to bring the students through the building and into the space, however the university decided to rearrange the functions of the building and thus the main entrance moved to the ground floor level this resulted in the ramp eventually becoming redundant. Here you can see how the ramp draws you into the building like arteries into the lungs.
Brise Soleil Windows
Plan
In section the pilotis work with the window structure to create the division of the internal free space, another idea of Le Corbsuiers five points of Architecture.
The Brise Soleil Windows are another of Le Corbusiers principles that he developed within this building. The shading device was carefully studied to create the perfect lighting within the work and exhibition spaces.
Section A-A
The pilotis were again from the original Parti sketch, they are present throughout the buiding and are the main structural element, they are made of breton brut concrete however Le Corbusier had refinded and developed the concrete by this stage to create a smoother finish rather than the rough textures work he had previosuly created in works such as the Jaoul Houses.
The glass covers much of the exterior and thus is also a material element of the building and a main focus of the structural ideas of this building. We looked further into the lighting elements of the building within this study.
Axonometry
Axonometry
Section A-A
Plan
The Pilotis- Breton Brut
The Final Composition
Plan
The building encompasses all of Le Corbusiers work as it was one of his last buildings, he based his ideas around his Five Points of Architecture: 1) the pilotis 2) the free plan, he divided space through the use of the pilotis 3) the free facade- the free plan in the vertical 4) the long horizontal sliding window
Axonometry
Section A-A
5) the roof garden The functions become clear in this image, this was Le Corbusiers intentions for the functios of the building however eventually the client changed them and through this caused the ramp to loose its use as previously mentioned. The envelope of the building becomes clear here as the constructional elements of the breton brut pilotis, breis solei windows and the ramp come together to form the lung layout and structure. This was one of the last buildings Le Corbusier built and thus pulls together his five points of architecture, his concrete breton brut work and his work with the modular.
Brise Soleil Sun Studies
We completed these sun studies to monitor the effects of the Brise Soleil windows throughout the morning. The atmosphere and light qualities can clealy be seen and it was a really effective study to gain full knowledge of the constructional and structural elements of the wondows in the Carpenter Centre. It also gives you more of a feel for the envelope of the building as the Brise Soeil windows cover alot the facades of the building.The material of the glass next to the concrete structure also has a purity to it and allows light to flood in. The Carpenter Centre for the Visual Arts clearly highlights Le Corbusiers main ideas and concepts in one of last buildings, as it was in America and he had not designed much in America he needed to show his main principles and his five points of architecture.