PRIYANSHI SHUKLA

2-C

TOWARDS A NEW ARCHITECTURE

- LE CORBUSIER

“A HOUSE IS A MACHINE FOR LIVING IN”

It is a house ,
A house that holds tightly a family together .
A home that bond us together.
A residence that reminds us of our childhood.
A dwelling that gives us memories to keep.

I have grown up in a family consisting of twenty two members , each having a different space deep
down in my heart . I have shared my childhood with sisters who would still tease me by the things I
used to say as a child . I have always waited for my brothers to come back home during the vacations
. I have had Sunday breakfasts in my garden with my family . I have had ghost story nights with my
cousins . I have done all of this in that house which was constructed by my grandparents , back in
1974 . The house which has seen all of us grow . The house that reminds us of the days when we
were worry free and of the days where we had intense fights . the house which has seen us sing and
laugh , the house that has seen us shout and cry .

This residence is much more than a mere a machine , which cannot hold emotions , becomes
obsolete after a certain period of time and has to be get rid of .

A house no doubt provides us with all the basic necessities and surely makes our lives easier but how
does it qualify to be a machine ?

Le Corbusier , in his book “ TOWARDS A NEW ARCHITECTURE”[published in 1923] talks majorly about
how architects are not designing anymore and it is because of engineer’s geometry that the houses
look beautiful . The argument is mainly about how the three basic things – mass , surface and plan
are not taken into consideration in today’s time . He further adds that how regulating lines are the
inevitable element of architecture and is an integral part of architectural creation .

Corbusier as an architect promoted the idea of having simple shapes , clean lines , clear floor plans ,
large windows and comfortable furniture . He believed that comfort is of utmost importance for an
individual , there he might be right but mass producing houses does not show any individuality .
Constructing houses that look alike brings in a sense of uniformity , discipline but that does not add
anything up to my personality . Having personal touch to an object gives us a will to own it .

Producing in tons , the houses are not homes but geometric shapes , making an area look
monotonous . I am not saying if I am against using geometry in its purest form , we can always do
that and we have great examples also , some of the most prominent ones being of Corbusier
himself . But why are we all going in the same direction is the question , why have started perceiving
things in the similar fashion , why does it to be mass produced and why do all the houses be uniform
?

The architect considers the geometric shapes and similar looking houses bring in order , my question
is could that not be achieved by simply having a sense of responsibility and order inside of us and
not where we live in . The geometries are not just the squares , rectangles and triangles but also the
organic shapes that derive from nature .

One architect that used the organic aspect in the best possible way , and who does not let us have
any second thoughts about how the building is not artificial is Antoni Gaudi .

Constructed in the year 1912 , Casa Mila was inspired by the modernist movement and appears to
be a sculpture , sculpted from the bottom . Consisting of nine levels in total , including the basement
and the mezzanine , it has two inner courtyards , forming a shape of eight in the plan . The famous
sculpture terrace envelopes in chimneys , emergency stairs , sky lights and fans , each of these very
artistically forms different sculptures and becomes a part of the building .
Located in the centre of the city , the structure stands out from the rest around it but still integrates
artistically . Since it was a response to modernism , it very elegantly gives justice to the movement .
Forming the shape of eight in the plan , the two courtyards provide a space for social interaction ,
which allows people to interact more with the immediate surroundings . The surface of the structure
is not just a simple façade but has variations in itself , making it different from others and interesting
enough to make everyone want to visit . The structure stands apart because of its use of forms in a
unique manner , which resulted in an interesting surface .

Structurally , the building looks very complex but is divided into two parts – skeleton and skin . The
stone façade not bearing any load . The skeleton is mainly the steel beams with the same curvature
that supports the stones laid in front , this technique allowed Gaudi to design the façade with no
constrains related to the structure .

The structure has 270 parabolic brick arches of varying heights , the spine like rib structure creates a
varied topography above it . The building has been provided with the right amount of fenestration ,
that allow a good quantity of light in and does not make it feel dark inside as it is well lit .

The architectural styles of both of these architects is so different that it could not even be compared
by one another but this explains that having straight lines is not geometry . Each house deserves to
have its own identity and having to construct houses that are similar does not enhance the beauty of
nature . Some might say that it is always good to have similar looking houses and that a house is a
machine we live in .

But ,How can a thing this important be a machine ?