 |
|||
| Vers
une architecture and Villa Savoye A comparison of treatise and building |
|||
| 11 - Conclusion | |||
| This short paper can not
cover the scope and depth of Le Corbusier’s work,
either in buildings or in text. Many issues are not
touched upon (eg the unconscious, mythology, etc). Some
of these appear in the Villa Savoye, but are not alluded
to in Vers une architecture, and vice versa. One can not precisely pin-down an explicit theory with Le Corbusier, either through a treatise such as Vers une architecture, or through a single building such as the Villa Savoye. However, by looking at them both, and by looking at them in multiple focused ways, one can begin to acquire an understanding and appreciation of the ideas at work. Le Corbusier’s approach to architecture was intellectually driven. The order exhibited in the architecture was a mediative element that was meant to relate the individual to higher, absolute order. With this as a viewpoint, Le Corbusier was tremendously consistent in applying these principles. Le Corbusier did not place as much importance on the phenomenological aspects of architecture. The difference in results can be seen in works by Aalto and Wright who were more phenomenologically oriented. For Le Corbusier, ideas mattered a great deal. Often, the abstract purity of the idea would be compromised by the practicalities of its realisation, but the underlying idea and driving force remains. Because of this, one can put together, in a tapestry-like fashion, a collage of the ideas of Le Corbusier. The urban ideas that infuse the Voisin plan are reflected in the Villa Savoye. The striving towards an abstract purity based on mathematical composition can be seen in projects as diverse as the Villa at Garches or the monastery at La Tourette. In my observation, many of the references found in the Villa Savoye are self-referential. By this I mean that a mental construct is envisaged that does not have a direct bearing in everyday perception or reality. The ordering systems and compositions then masterfully reinforce this mental construct, and this in part adds to the deep intellectual resonance of the work. For me though, as brilliant a work as it is, there is a questionable gap between the mental construct as shown in the Villa Savoye and the perception and use by a normal person. It appears that for Le Corbusier, the person perceiving the architecture can not comprehend the essence of architecture directly. This essence must be comprehended through visibly expressed ordering systems. It is these ordering systems that mediate between the absolute and the individual. For all of the rational arguments and explanations by Le Corbusier, I feel that the design of the Villa Savoye (and many other projects as well) was largely intuitive. There are many examples where theoretically rigorous rules have been broken (e.g., regulating lines, proportioning ratios, etc.) with the resulting composition being one that ultimately decided by personal judgment. The wellspring from which these designs emanated is deeper that the ability of Le Corbusier to rationally explain. This perhaps accounts for why the texts are often contradictory, as Le Corbusier was not necessarily rationally certain as to what he was trying to express. Villa Savoye represents a powerful evolution in the work of Le Corbusier. Fig. 11.03 shows sketch made by Le Corbusier showing the composition of four buildings; Maison La Roche, Villa at Garches, Villa at Stuttgart, and finally, the Villa Savoye. One can see the build-up of ideas through the several compositions – a tightening of the volume from Maison La Roche to Garches; the free plan from Garches to Stuttgart; and the roof garden and mental separation from the landscape in Garches to Villa Savoye. |
|||
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Fig 11.01 - Parthenon (from Vers une architecture) | Fig 11.02 - Villa Savoye solarium | Fig 11.03 - Compositional sketches by Le Corbusier | Fig 11.04 - Villa Savoye living room |
 |
 |
 |
|
| Fig 11.05 - Airplane (from Vers une architecture) | Fig 11.06 - Villa Savoye living room | Fig 11.07 - Villa Savoye roof garden | |
| Return to index page | |||