PRESENTATION

ON
LE CORBUSIER
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN THEORY IV
DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE
DCRUST, MURTHAL

SUBMITTED BY:-

AASTHA KALIA-10001006001
AKRITI GUPTA -10001006007
DIVYA KAPUR -10001006014
MEHAK CHHABRA-10001006023

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ARCHITECT LE CORBUSIER

Introduction
Full Name

- Charles-Edouard Jeanneret-Gris

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Nationality - Swiss / French

Birth date

- October 6, 1887

Birth place - La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland

Date of death - August 27, 1965 (aged 77)
Place of death - France

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 Le Corbusier is one of the most imaginative architect of

the last century to whom we owe the revolutionary,
structural change of modern architecture.
Le Corbusier dominated twentieth-century architecture in
much the same way that Picasso dominated painting.
Le Corbusier is the most influential, most admired,
and most maligned architect of the twentieth century.
Through his writing and his buildings, he is the main
player in the Modernist story, his visions of homes
and cities as innovative as they are influential.
Many of his ideas on urban living became the blueprint for
post-war reconstruction, and the many failures of his wouldbe imitators led to Le Corbusier being blamed for the
problems of western cities in the 1960s and 1970s

EARLY YEARS

In the beginning of his career in architecture his work

encountered some skepticism as it was found somehow
revolutionary in its nature and subversive in its look, nevertheless
Le Corbusier's designs gained a vast professional recognition, and
today are regarded as some of the most valid innovative concepts
of the period between 1900 and 2000.
PSEODONYM
When he was 29, he went to Paris, where he soon after adopted
his maternal grandfathers name, Le Corbusier, as his
pseudonym.
The Arts and Crafts movement had adherents all over
Europe, but as the name implies, it was hardly
representative of an industrial age. Le Corbusier
maintained that this new age deserved a brand-new
architecture. We must start again from zero, he
proclaimed.

EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION, 18871913

Le Corbusier was attracted to the visual arts and studied at the
La-Chaux-de- Fonds Art School under Charles L'Eplattenier, who
had studied in Paris. His architecture teacher in the Art School
was the architect Ren Chapallaz, who had a large influence on Le
Corbusier's earliest houses.
About 1907, he travelled to Paris, where he worked in the office
of Auguste Perret, the French pioneer of reinforced concrete.
In 1908, He studied architecture in Vienna
with Josef Hoffmann.
Between October 1910 and March 1911, he
worked near Berlin for the renowned
architect Peter Behrens, where he met
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Walter
Gropius.

LE CORBUSIER AS A PURIST
Le Corbusier was deeply involved in the purist movement which
focused on seeing objects in the world and rendering them
exactly as they appear in their purest forms. At this time the
purist movement went hand in hand with the postmodern style of
architecture and suited Le Corbusier for a short period of time
while he developed his theories on the layout of urban dwelling
known as Unite dhabitation.
This was the architects way of rationalizing
his unique style of housing. Much of his radical
design was centered on the basic shape and
form of the cube.

LE CORBUSIER AND POST-MODERNISM

Charles-Edouard Jeanneret-Gris was designing his
most powerful work in the 1920s, after he took on
His pseudonym Le Corbusier. At this time he took
his place among one of the most infamous postModernist architects in Europe. During the 1930s
and 1940s Le Corbusier was highly disliked for his
stark forms and radical cubed shapes.
Postmodernism was the
return to classical
architecture which
at the time was very
unpopular with many
critics and underwent
severe persecution.

5 points of Architecture
Le Corbusiers Five Points Towards A New Architecture finally
formulated in 1926 included
1) The pilots elevating the mass off the ground
Supports The replacement of supporting walls by a grid of
reinforced concrete columns that bears the load of the
structure is the basis of the new aesthetic.

2) The free plan, achieved through the separation of

the load-bearing columns from the walls subdividing
the space
The free designing of the ground plan The absence of
supporting walls means that the house is unrestrained in
its internal usage.

3) The free facade, the corollary of the free plan in the

vertical plan
Allowing it just to be void ,thin membrane or a window of
any size.
The free design of facade By separating the exterior of the
building form its structural function the faade becomes free.

4) The long horizontal sliding window

The horizontal window The faade can be cut along
its entire length to allow rooms to be lit equally

5) The roof garden, restoring, supposedly, the area of

ground covered by the house
Roof gardens The flat roof can be utilization for a
domestic purpose while also providing essential
protection the concrete roof.

MODULAR THEORY

The different positions of the human body during

various activities fits the Modulor divisions.

Scholarly inquiry and analysis

have determined that all
important architecture of the
ancient world was modular
in plan and construction.
In the early part of the
twentieth century, architect
Le Corbusier developed the
Modular, a measuring tool
based on the human body and on
mathematics. In this
synthesis of form, space and
structure, the inclusion of
human proportion is very
significant.

The Modular Man is 183 cm (6ft)

tall and with left arm raised,
reaches a height of 226 cm (about
7 ft). His head height,
if partitioned as per Golden
Section or the height of his navel,
is 113cm (27 ft), which, curiously
enough, is half the height
of the raised arm. From these and
a fourth key point of the human
figure, the parting of the legs (or
the place where the right hand
rests, 86 cm (34 inches) above the
base), two series of measurements
have been derived: the reaching
height (blue series) and the head
height (red series); each divided
into diminishing proportions based
on the Golden Section ratio.

Geometrically on the harmonic

series, in which every value
multiplied by j provides the next
value, i.e. 1/j : 1/j : 1/j : 1 : j : j :
j. ..
(In additive progression, each value
is the sum of the two preceding
ones. These properties produce an
arithmetical and geometrical series
at the same time.)
But it is also based on the additive
Fibonacci number series, i.e.
0:1 : 1 : 2 : 3 : 5 : 8 : 13 : 21 : 34 : 55 :
89 ...
in which each value is the sum of the
two preceding ones, an
approximation to the harmonic series,
and thus tends rapidly to j, as shown by:
2 - 1,5 - 1,6 - 1,625 - 1,6154 - 1,619 1,6176 - 1,6181 - 1,6179 > j= 1,6180339

LE CORBUSIER'S MODULOR
IS BASED:

THEORY OF
FUNCTIONALISM
Le Corbusier's designs in architecture,
urban planning and furniture, are based
on his theory of functionalism and in
the use of new symbols. One of these is
concept of flat roofs, that the
introduction of the use of reinforced
concrete in architecture made
attainable; these types of roofs have
an alternative look to that of the
traditional sloping ones, and give room
to creative experiments like. The
realization of recreation open
spaces and gardens hosted on their
top. In Le Corbusiers philosophy the
creation of new functions in design is
aimed at originating modern values.

A HOUSE IS A MACHINE FOR LIVING

Soon, Le Corbusier was developing standardised housing 'types'
like the 'Immeuble-villa' (made real with the Pavilion de
l'Esprit Nouveau of 1925), and the Maison Citrohan (a play on
words suggesting the building industry should adopt the
methods of the mass production automobile industry), which he
hoped would solve the chronic housing problems of
industrialised countries.
But despite his love of the machine aesthetic, Le Corbusier was
determined that his architecture would reintroduce nature into
people's lives. Victorian cities were chaotic and dark
prisons for many of their inhabitants. Le Corbusier
was convinced that a rationally planned city, using
the standardised housing types he had developed,
could offer a healthy, humane alternative.

URBANISM
The first of his grand urban plans was the
Ville Contemporaine of 1922. This proposed
city of three million would be divided into
functional zones: twenty-four glass towers
in the centre would form the commercial
district, separated from the industrial and
residential districts by expansive green
belts.
In 1925, Corbusier's ambitious Plan Voisin
for Paris envisioned the destruction of
virtually the entire north bank of the Seine
to incorporate a mini version of the Ville
Contemporaine.
Understandably, it remained only a plan.

SAVOYE VILLA, FRANCE

VILLA SAVOYE
The Savoye Villa is a masterpiece
of LeCorbusier's design and is
also one of the most famous
houses of the France.
It is the best example of
LeCorbusier's goal to create a
house which would be a "machine a
habiter," a machine for living (in).
Located in a suburb near Paris,
the house is as beautiful as
sunset and as functional as a
machine.

VILLA SAVOYE- FRANCE 1929-31

- Villa Savoye is related to the whole range of le
corbusiers architecture and urban planning.
- It is situated on smoothly sloping hill top in
midst of fields.
- Golden propotions are analysed.
- Columns of the buildings are defined
by a system of walls independent of
structure.
- Entry to the property is through a
gate at one end of high stone wall.

PLANS

Key features..
Roof garden:
The roof gardens: '...the garden is on the
roof...
RCC is the new way to create a unified roof
structure..
Instead of trying to evacuate the
rainwater quickly, endeavor on the
contrary to maintain a constant humidity
on the concrete of the terrace.
One particular protective measure: sand
covered with thick concrete slabs, with
widely spaced joints; these joints are sown
with grass.'

Interior & exterior

views

NOTRE- DAM-DU-HAUT

CHAPEL OF NOTRE DAME DU HAUT

RONCHAMP

"Here we will build a monument dedicated to nature and

we will make it our lives' purpose."

Location
Building Type
ConstructionSystem
Climate
Context
Style
Notes

Ronchamp, France
Church
Reinforced concrete
Temperate
Rural, Mountains
Expressionist Modern
Soft-form composition, deep
windows with colored glass
(wall thickness 4' to 12')

Notre-dam-du-haut is situated on southern foothills of the vosages

Le corbusier tackled the problem first of all as a matter of pure
space
In this context, le corbusier himself spoke of landscape acoustics thus
creating an echo in the hall
The form he finally came up with equal justice to the practical purpose
of sanctuary and the evocative challenge of the land
It is covered with mushroom shaped roof
Following the shape of hill , the nave of the church is inclined towards
east
The roof is independent of walls
A thin strip of daylight is revealed
between the chapel walls and the roof
It creates a strong tension between
the indoors and out doors

MASS VOID APPEARANCE

The main hall has a capacity of 200

people
It was this chapel that he first
formulated the idea architecturally
In the form of periscope light
shafts capturing the sunlight and
spilling it over the altars of the
three sided chapel
He played with mass and void on the
exteriors of the walls

IRREGULAR VOIDS

INTERIOR OF THE CHAPEL

SITE PLAN

SECTIONAL VIEW

PLAN

NORTH

Main features:
The thick, curved walls - especially the buttressshaped south wall - and the vast shell of the
concrete roof give the building a massive, sculptural
form. Small, brightly painted and apparently
irregular windows punched in these thick walls give a
dim but exciting light within the cool building,
enhanced by further indirect light coming down the
three light towers.

Interior planning:
The interior of the chapel is modest, with plain
pews down the south side only. The walls curve, the
roof curves, and even the floor curves down
towards the altar, following the shape of the hill.
Above the plain altar, the east wall is punctuated by
several pinhole-windows and by a single substantial
window with the Madonna and Child in silhouette;
through the window this image also serves the
outside altar used during pilgrimages.

CHANDIGARH

INTRODUCTION

Since punjab has divided into two parts, the capital was
left in pakistan there fore punjab in india required new
capital
Le corbusier was approached by punjab government and
the prime minister of india
Chandigarh is a bold experiment in modern civil design
chandigarh has provoked fresh thinking and in fact shown
new way of life
Maxwell fry, jane drew and Pierre Jeanerette were also
involved in the team of architects
when le corbusier assumed control
of the chandigarh project in 1951,
however the design of the city had
already been devised by the new york
firm of mayer, whittlesey, and glass
who received a contract for the master
plan of chandigarh in 1950.

MASTER PLAN

In 1951 it was given to le corbusier

in chandigarh le corbusier system of self supporting
neighborhood unit known as a sector has worked very well
sector which is introverted in character communicates only at 4
junctions with the adjoining neighborhood units
all the houses open up inside
grid planning is done
chandigarh planning was done in an manner that everything was
easily clear about the routes
and sectors
7 vs road system is used
the roads are classified as v1 ,v2 ,v3v7
v1 connects chandigarh to other cities

v2 are the major avenues of the city e.g. madhya marg

etc
v3 are the corridors streets for vehicular traffic only
v4..v7 are the roads within the sectors
chandigarh has been planned on the scientific principles
and to apprise the coming generation of these principles
the main feature of this edict are itshuman scale
self sufficient sectors
roads system
areas of special interest
architectural control

PLAN OF THE CITY

THREE DISCIPLINES

The discipline of money

Le corbuiser once remarked thatindia hasthe treasures of a proud
culture,but her coffers are empty. and throughout the project the
desire for grandness was hampered by the need for strict economy.
in working up his designs,le corbuiser consulted the program for
each building as given in the budget and then prepared the initial
project.
the discipline of technology
available in quantity,however,was good
clay stone and sand,and,above all
human labour.
the materials of which chandigarh
has ben constructed are rough concrete
in the capitol complex and the central
business district and for most of the city,
especially in housing,locally produced brick.

The discipline of climate

Besides the administrative and financial regulations there
was a law of the sun in India.
the architectural problem consists; first to make shade,
second to make a current of air[to ventilate],third to
control hydraulics.

THE SECTOR

Taking chandigarh as an example,we may see at once the democratic

idea which allows us to devote an equal care to housing all classes of
society to sek new social groupings, new patterns of education and
public welfare,and made more possible by practical aplicatoin of the
scientific idea which through industrialism,gives us such benefits as
piped water,elecricity and cheap transport.
each sector is designated by number,the capital complex being
number 1,with the remaining
sectors numbered consecutively beginning
at the north corner of the city.
at present there are 30 sectors in
chandigarh,of which 24 are residential.
the sectors at the upper edge of the city
are of abbreviated size.

in all type of housing ,partly because of the glazing

expense, partly to keep out sun.
as the most economical and readily available material for
building at chandigarh was locally made brick.
this became the material of construction.
the flat roof was employed through out in chandigarh
housing because of its usefulness as a sleeping area
70% of the building would be private in all the sectors.
residential plots ranging in dimensions from 75 sq. yards
to 5000 sq yards.

THE CAPITOL COMPLEX

The area of the greatest symbolic significance in chandigarh

was the capitol complex , which in its final form was based on
the design of a graet cross axis
the most important group of the buildings constituting the
capitol- right, the parliament, left, in the background, the
secretariat
in the foreground, the pool of the palace of justice
the artificial hills in the front of the secretariat have not been
created and
laid out in accordance with coebusier;s conceptions
although the scene is harmonius in effect,
there are still missing the buildings
that belong here ,such as , for instance, the towers of shadows

SITE PLAN

OPEN HAND
GOVERNOR,S PALACE
HIGH COURT
ASSEMBLY

SECRETARIAT

THE SECRETARIAT,1958

THE SECRETARIAT

THE FIRST DESIGN FOR THE SECRETARIAT PRESENTS THE

BUILDING AS A TALL THIN SLAB CARRYING A SURFACE BRISE
SOLEIL DIVIDED BY A CENTRAL HORIZONTAL BAND
THE DESIGN WHICH WAS ACCEPTED ESTABLISHED THE
BUILDING FORN AS A LONG ,HORIZONTAL CONCRETE SLAB
THE SECRETARIAT, THE LONGEST BUILDING IN CHANDIGARH,
254M LONG,AND 42M HIGHFORMS THE ADMINSTRATIVE
CENTER,WITH MINISTERAL OFFICES GROUPED IN THE CENTER
AND OFFICES FOR EMPLOYEES ARRANGED ON EITHER SIDE
THE BUILDING WAS COMPLETED IN 1958
THE BUILDING IS COMPOSED OF SIX EIGHT
STOREY BLOCKS SEPARETED BY EXPANSION
JOINTS
THE CENTRAL PAVILION, BLOCK 4, CONTAINS
THE OFFICES OF THE MINISTERS

RAMP ENCLOCURE
SQUARE WINDOWS
ROUGH CONCRETE
FINISH

PROJECTED PORTICOS
FREE FACADE
SMALL ENTRANCE
BIG ENTRANCE

The rough concrete again interposes in the fenestration of

the two main facades ; more than 2000 units of unique
design
approach to the building is through roadways below ground
level to a large parking area in front of the central block,
and a floor is left open at this level to form an entrance hall
block 1 and 2 rises directly from the ground
block 3,4 and part of 5 face on the excavated area of the
parking lot and have the lower storey open between pilotis
for the rest part of block 5 and whole of 6 the level goes
till plaza height, and lower portion of these blocks are left
open to a height of two storyes
the top of the building is developed as
a roof garden containing the service
blocks and cafeteria for employees.

THE ASSEMBLY HALL

THE ASSEMBLY HALL

The assembly was conceived as a rectilinear structure.

it is square in plan with a monumental portico facing the main
plaza .
On the lateral facades both the portico and the office block
would be defined by solid end walls.
The large chamber is in hyperbolic form of the cooling tower
with an average thickness of 15 cms.
The small council chamber are in
rectilinear frame.
The upper portion of the tower is
extending above the roof line.
An assembly chamber is 128 ft in diameter
at its base and rises to 124 ft at its highest point .
This tower was designed to insure the
natural light, ventilation and proper acoustics.

Of all buildings of the

capitol complex , the
assembly is the most
intricate in plan
Separate circulation
accommodation of all
groups is provided
Employing a system of
individual entrances,
stairways, lifts and ramp a
complete segregation of
members is provided
Ther are two separate
galleries for men and
women in council chamber

INTERIOR
VIEW OF A
CHAMBER

MUSHROOM
COLUMN
SUPPORTING
ROOF

SECTOR-17,CHANDIGARH

The city center consists of

different squares tied together by
broad avenues.
at the present time, when this
center is still devoid of any sort of
vegetation, the unshaved open areas
can be quite unpleasant.
this sector-17 is virtually
uninhabited, but it is enlivened
during the daytime by the many
shops,bazars,
restaurant,cafes,banks and
department stores.

There is doubt that at

present the city center
still looks like an
experiment .
the urban circulation
here is in sharp contrast
to the oriental bazaar
streets, the narrow alleys
full of noise and plunged
in shadow .
of all the cities of India ,
only chandigarh can claim
to be an absolutely
modern town , untouched
by the tradition of the
past, as Jawaharlal
Nehru so aptly remarked .