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Vers Une Architecture
(Towards a new architecture)
Le Corbusier As the nineteenth century drew to its end, artists using different mediums were searchingfor a better meaning for their expression. Architecture at this point in time faced nodifferent situation and was subservient to ornament where it romanticized more than itinnovated. Architecture had lost the connection to its time. This book originally written in1923, in French is titled ‘
Vers Une Architecture
’ or ‘
Towards a New Architecture
’ (inEnglish) by Swiss-French architect, painter, sculptor and theorist Charles-ÉdouardJeanneret-Gris, more popularly known by his adopted name Le Corbusier. He isconsidered perhaps the father of the modern movement and surely one of the greatestarchitects ever to walk this world.This book is a collection of essays written by him along with his friend AmédéeOzenfant; however the latter is not credited. ‘Vers Une Architecture’ is arguably one of the most important pieces of art writing of the twentieth century. It was written as atreatise for the architecture of the modern times with a clear message beingcommunicated to architects globally. Different comparisons are illustrated withreferences from not only history of architecture but also that to the prevalent technology.This book is meant to be a tool of learning for the architects of his age and those to
 
follow. It was no less than a revolutionary piece of writing of its times as it stronglycritiqued the established patterns of architectural practice.The treatise starts with praise for the engineers and engineering as a profession comparedwith an expression of sorrow over the state of architects of the time and magnificence of architecture as a profession. His love for architecture as a subject is evident by the tone of his writing and the extreme emphasis he places on the importance of it evolving withtime in the right manner. Le Corbusier further proceeds to talk about the three tools thatarchitects are blessed with and reiterates their importance. Architecture as he describes itis the “masterly, correct and magnificent play of masses brought together in light” and itsreal beauty is seen only if the masses are in their pure forms. Surface is another point hediscusses with a strict rejections for ‘styles’ in architecture as he argues they are merely‘sometimes pretty, though not always; and never anything more.’ His ideal of the modernaesthetic transcends these boundaries and reaches for an inherent beauty.Ideals of functionalism take shape as he admires the engineers yet again with their mathematic calculations and their adherence to the functionality of the structure.Architects are encouraged to follow the lead of the engineers and bring back the truespirit of architects which their sister professionals engineers were holding high at thattime. One of the most famous statements of Corbusier is ‘the plan is the generator.’ Heacknowledges that the plan may not be drawn for being the most beautiful thing but as awork of a mathematician with references to proportions, scale and rhythm. For himdrawing a plan of a building is like writing music. Yet at the same time, later in the book,
 
he warns the architects not to get lost in the chimera of plans only because that is not howa normal human experiences the building.The book talks about importance of regulating lines in architecture both in plan; and inthe section and elevation. It binds together the building as a whole. Le Corbusier hasdedicated a substantial part of the book in appreciation of the three objects of modernindustrial age; the ocean liner, the airplane and the motorcar. He celebrates and educatesthe reader about the architectural and functional success of them as they are made inaccordance to the user i.e. the man and with a strict conscious about economy. Oceanliner has perhaps highly influenced Corbusier which is evident in his work throughout hislife. From the nautical railings of Villa Savoye to the hull shaped plan of UniteHabitation, the ocean liner can be heard in its undertones.Le Corbusier traveled extensively during the early part of his life where he found Rome being the most inspiring of all the places he had ever been. He drew numerous sketchesof Roman ruins that inspired him and eventually shaped his architecture as it is. At thistime, the industrial age was in its full swing and Corbusier pressed for an architecturemore suited to its time and called for his famous ‘house as a machine for living’ whichessentially meant achieving maximum efficiency while suited to the needs of the man.Vers Une Architecture is the next major architectural treatise after Leon Batista Alberti’s“De Re Aedifictoria” (Ten Books on Architecture) which was some four hundred andfifty years back. It is also the modern manifesto for the discipline which holds water even
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