Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Le Corbusier
Le Corbusier
INTRODUCTION
• CHARLES EDOUARD JEANNERET NOW POPULARLY KNOWN AS
LE CORBUSIER
• BORN ON 6th OF OCTOBER’ 1887 AT LA CHAUX DE FONDS IN
SWISSJURA MOUNTAINS 4 KMS FROM FRENCH BORDER
• HE STARTED WORKING UNDER CONTRACTER PERRET, LE
CORBUSIER’S SO CALLED MASTER
• HE AS A CHILD PREPARED HIMSELF FOR A MANUAL OCCUPATION
• HE LEFT HIS SCHOOL AT THE AGE OF 13½ YRS
• JOINED AN ART SCHOOL LATER
IDEOLOGY
THE PILOTIS
ROOF GARDEN
FREE FLOOR PLAN
ELONGATED WINDOW
FREE FACADE
THE PILOTIS
PILOTIS
THE ROOF GARDEN
USUALLY KNOWN AS HANGING GARDEN
FIRST REALIZATION OF THIS IDEA WAS IN
THE SMALL HOUSE THAT THE ARCHITECT
BUILT FOR HIS PARENTS ON LAKE GENEVA
IN 1923 IS DESCRIBED IN A HYMNAL TONE
REINFORCED CONCRETE MADE THE
STRUCTURALLY HOMOGENOUS ROOF
POSSIBLE
REASON OF TECHNIQUE, ECONOMY AND
COMFORT LEAD TO THE ADOPTION OF THE
ROOF TERRACE AND THE ROOF GARDEN
THE ROOF GARDEN OFTEN EQUIPPED FOR
SPORTS, EMULATES THE ‘CONDITION OF
NATURE’ IN HUMAN HABITAT
ROOF GARDEN
THE FLOOR PLAN
LIVING AREA
LECORBUSIER ENCOUNTERED
MANY DIFFICULTIES IN WORKING
WITH THE COMMITTEE AS A
CLIENT,HENCE THIS ACCOUNTED
FOR MANY OF THE ODD FEATURES
OF THIS BUILDING.
IT MARKS A NEW PHASE IN HIS
WORK.
THERE WERE DIFFICULTIES IN
FINDING FIRM SOIL FOR THE
FOUNDATION.
PILOTIS OF REINFORCED
CONCRETE WERE USED,WAS LEFT
BARE WITH SHUTTERING MARKS
DISPLAYED.
THE SUPER-STRUCTURE WAS OF
STEEL.
THE CURVED WALL OF THE
COMMON ROOM WAS OF RANDOM
RUBBLE.
1955 Mrs. MANORAMA SARABHAI’S
HOUSE, AHMEDABAD, INDIA
1955 Mrs MANORAMA SARABHAI’S
HOUSE, AHMEDABAD, INDIA
DOUBLE HEIGHT
BALCONIES TOO
OPEN TERRACE
NARROW ROOMS
( 8’ HIGH ROOMS)
NOTRE- DAM-DU-HAUT
RONCHAMP
NOTRE-DAM-DU-HAUT IS SITUATED ON SOURTHEN 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
PRACTICLE 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 CREATS A STRONG TENSION BETWEEN THE INDOORS AND OUT
DOORS
• THE MAIN HALL HAS A CAPACITY OF 200
PEOPLE
• IT WAS THIS CHPEL 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
SUN BREAKERS
THE INTERIOR ARRANGEMENTS
TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF
PREVAILING WINDS.
THE ROOF IS USED TOGETHER WITH
BAR FOR EVENING
ENTERTAINMENT.
THE ASSEMBLY HALL IS
CONSTRUCTED OF DOUBLE THIN
BRICK WALLS PANELLED IN WOOD.
EITHER RANDOM OR CONCRETE
SEATING 2 VERTICAL TAPESTRIES
ARE SUSPENDED FROM THE
CEILING FOR ACOUSTICAL
PURPOSES.
THE HALL IS INDIRECTLY LIGHTED
BY REFLECTIONS FROM THE
CURVED CEILING, WHICH IN TURN IS
KEPT COOL BY 2 GARDENS AND A
WATER BASIN ON THE ROOF.
CIRCULATION
FROM THE LOWEST LEVEL TO THE ROOF 2 ELEVATORS SERVE ALL THE
FLOORS.
A LONG RAMP PROVIDES PEDESTRIAN ACCESS FROM THE MAIN OFFICE
TO THE PARKING LOT.
THE FLOORING IS OF DELHI STONE AND ALSO SERVES AS A STONE
TAPESTRY.
1954-57 MUSEUM, AHMEDABAD,INDIA
1954-57 MUSEUM, AHMEDABAD,INDIA
1.GROUND-FLOOR PLAN,
RECEPTION HALL AND
DINING ROOMS.
2.TYPICAL FLOOR PLANS,
DOMITORIES, DAY
NURSERIES AND
WASHROOMS.
3.PLAN AT UPPER LEVEL,
WITH INDIVIDUAL CUBICLES
FOR MOTHERS AND
CHILDREN.
SALVATION ARMY REFUGE IN PARIS
THE PROVINCIAL GOVT. BUILDINGS ARE LOCATED THE UPPER EDGE OF THE
CITY WITHIN A FORK IN ONE OF THE RIVERS,WHILE THE CENTRAL BUSINESS
DISTRICT OCCUPIES AN AREA NEAR THE CENTER.A CURVING NETWORK OF
MAIN ROADS SURROUNDS THE RESIDENTIAL SUPERBLOCKS,EACH OF WHICH
CONTAINS A CENTRAL AREA OF PARKLAND.
MASTER PLAN
IN 1951 IT WAS GIVEN TO LE CORBUSIER
IN CHANDIGARH LE CORBUSIER SYTEM 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 NEIGHBOURHOOD 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 V’S ROAD SYSTEM IS USED
THE ROADS ARE CLASSIFIED AS V1 ,V2 ,V3………V7
V1 CONNECTS CHANDIGARH TO OTHER CITIES
PLAN OF THE CITY
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
CHANDI GARH HAS BEEN PLANNED ON THE SCIENTIFIC PRINCIPLES
AND TO APPRISE THE COMING GENERATION OF THESE PRINCIPLES
THE MAIN FEATURE OF THIS EDICT ARE ITS-
HUMAN SCALE
SELF SUFFICIENT SECTORS
ROADS SYSTEM
AREAS OF SPECIAL INTEREST
ARCHITECTURAL CONTROL
THREE DISCIPLINES
THE DISCIPLINE OF MONEY
LE CORBUISER ONCE REMARKED THAT”INDIA 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 REGULATONS 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
OPEN HAND
GOVERNOR,S PALACE
HIGH COURT
ASSEMBLY
SECRETARIAT
HERE THE SECRETARIAT BUILDING IS TREATED AS A HORIZONTAL
PLATFORM LIKE THE PLAIN OF CHANDIGARH ITSELF,CARRYING ON ITS
ROOF THE PROVINCIAL ASSEMBLY HALL RISING IN A PARABOLIC ARCH,
A FORM ECHOING THE DISTANT HILLS
AS A RESPONSE TO THE SUN, THE CAPITOL COMPLEX CAN BE
INTERPERATED AS AN INTERLACED ARRAY OF SUN BREAKERS
INSPIRATION FROM L,UNITE
IT LIES IN THE FOOT OF SHIVALIK HILLSJUST NEXT TO ARTIFICIAL LAKE
GOVERNOR,S PALACE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IN THE SITE BUT THE
IDEA WAS ABANDONED
THE CAPITOL AREA WAS DESIGNED AS THE GREAT PEDISTRIAN PLAZA
WITH MOTOR TRAFFIC SEPARATED INTO SUNKEN TRENCHES LEADING
TO PARKING AREAS
ALTHOUGH THE SITE IS VERY BIG,IT IS NOT DESIGNED WITH
ALLOWENCE FOR EXPANSION
THE SECRETARIAT,1958
THE SECRETARIAT
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
APPRAOCH 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 PLASTIC EMPHASIS IS
GIVEN TO THE BUILDING BY
FREE STANDING EXTERIOR HT OF 2
RAMPS ENCLOSED IN ROUGH
CONCRETE WALLS STOREYS
FOR SUPPLEMENTARY LEFT OPEN
COMMUNICATION WITHIN THE
BUILDING , EACH OF SIX
BLOCKS IS EQUIPPED WITH
INTERIOR STAIRWAYS AND
LIMITED ELEVATOR SERVICE
HORIZONTAL CIRCULATION IS
BY MEANS OF A CENTRAL
CORRIDORS
FOR MINISTER’S BLOCK THE
BAY SIZE IS INCREASED AND
THE COLUMN IS THICKENED
COLUMNS SUPPORTING
1 ½ BLOCK
THE HIGH COURT
THE HIGH COURT,
THE HIGH COURT FORMED A PART AS “ A GRAT ARCHITECTURAL
VENTURE USING VERY POOR MATERIALS AND A LABOUR FORCEQUITE
UNUSED TO MODERN BUILDING TECHNIQUES
AN ENTIRE STUCTURE HAS RESULTED IN THE USE OF DOUBLE ROOF
THE UPPER ROOF CANTILEVERED OUT OF THE OFFICE BLOCK IN THE
MANNER OF PARASOL SHADING THE LOWER ROOF
THE SPACE BETWEEN THE TWO ROOFS IS LEFT OPEN TO ENABLE
CURRENTS OF AIR TO MOVE BETWEEN THE FLAT ROOF OF THE
OFFICE BLOCK AND THE UNDERSIDE OF THE PARASOL ROOF WHICH
SLOPES TOWARDS CENTER IN THE FORM OF ROWS OF ARCHES
IN THE PLAN THE BUILDING TOOK THE FORM OF ABBREVIATED L –
SHAPED WITH LONG FAÇADE FACING THE CAPITOL PLAZA TO CONTAIN
COURT ROOMS
THE BUILDING IS A RECTILINEAR FRAME WITHIN WHICH THE INTERIOR
FUNCTIONS ARE DEFINED
THE EIGHT COURT ROOMS ARE IDENTICALLY EXPRESSED ON THE
MAIN FAÇADE AND SEPARETED FROM THE LARGER HIGH COURT BY A
MONUMENTAL COLUMNED ENTRANCE RISING THE HEIGHT OF THE
BUILDING
BUILDING RISES DIRECTLY FROM THE EARTH
THE MAIN FAÇADE IS DEFINED BY A FULL HEIGHT CONCRETE BRISE
SOLEIL
THE ARCH FORM IS RESTRICTED TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE
PARASOL ROOF
IT IS THE VISUAL DRAMA OF THE PIERS RISING SIXTY FEET FROM THE
GROUND TO MEET THE HEAVY OUTWARD THRUST OF THE ROOF
WHICH CREATES THE FOCAL EMPHASIS OF THE PRESENT PLAN
ON THE MAIN FAÇADE THE DEEP FIXED CONCRETE BRISE SOLEIL
GIVES A STRONG AND SCALELESS PATTERN TO THE BUILDING
IT IS THE CONCRETE SCREEN WHICH GIVES THE MAIN FAÇADE ITS
OVER ALL UNITY
BEHIND THE BRISE SOLEIL , THE WINDOWS OF THE COURT ROOMS
ARE OF FIXED GLASS, BUT BETWEEN ARE NARROW VERTICAL SPACES
CONTAINING SHUTTERS WHICH OPEN AND CLOSE ON HINGES
IT IS NOTED THAT THE ORIENTATION OF THE HIGH COURT IS SUCH
THAT THE MAIN FAÇADE FACES NORTH WEST , AND THIS DOES NOT
RECEIVE DIRECT SUNLIGHT
THE ROUGH CONCRETE OF THE BUILDING IS TREATED IN VARIETY OF
MANNERS FOR MUCH OF THE SURFACE INCLUDING THE UNDERSIDE
OF THE PARASOL ROOF AND THE EXTERIOR SIDE WALLS , THE MASS
OF SHEET METAL CHARACTERIZE THE SURFACE
IN PORTIONS OF THE INTERIOR AND ON THE RAMPS , WOODEN
BOARDS HAVE BEEN INSERTED WITH IN THE METAL FORMS TO GIVE
THE CONCRETE SURFACE THE IMPRESS OF THEIR JOINTED PATTERN,
WHILE OTHER SURFACES, INCLUDING THOSE OF MASSIVE ENTRANCE
PIERS ARE FINISHED WITH GUNNITE CEMENT
ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES
PARASOL ROOF
FORMING ARCHES
DOUBLE ROOF
GAP LEFT BETWEEN
TWO ROOFS
FULL HT ENTRANCE
REAR VIEW DOUBLE ROOF
DETERMINED BY LECORBUSIER .
SUKHNA LAKE, CHANDIGARH
THE CLUB HOUSE- NORTH OF THE
CAPITOL NO ADDITIONAL
STRUCTURES WERE TO BE
ERECTED,IN ORDER NOT TO
IMPEDE THE VIEW OF THE
HIMALAYA.
THIS WAS AN EXPRESS CONDITION
LAID DOWN BY LE CORBUSIER.
THE CLUB HOUSE WAS HOWEVER
NECESSITY.
LE CORBUSIER DESIGNED A
COMPLEX LYING 3METERS BENEATH
ROAD LEVEL,SO THAT THE HOUSE
IS SCARSELY VISIBLE FROM THE
PROMENADE.
THE CAUSEWAY- CHANDIGARH IS
SURROUNDED BY THE RIVERS
PATIALI AND MANIMAJRA, WHICH
CARRY WATER ONLY DURING THE
MONSOON SEASON.
THE REINFORCED CONCRETE
CONSTRUCTION IS SIMPLE AND
PLAIN, AND ITS SEVERE LINES
HARMONIZE ENTIRELY WITH THE
NATURAL SETTING.
AT ALL OTHER TIMES OF THE YEAR
THEY ARE DRY.
DURING THE HOT MONTHS OF MAY AND JUNE, ENORMOUS AMOUNTS
OF DUST USED TO BLOW INTO THE CITY.
TREES AND SHRUBS WERE PLANTED AS A PROTECTIVE ZONE ALONG
THESE RIVERS, SO THAT THE CITY IS NOW FREE OF THE
INCONVENIENCE OF THIS FLYING SAND.
ONE OF THESE RIVERS HAS BEEN DAMMED.
IN 1955 THE WATER BOULEVARD WAS EXTENDED IN THE SHAPE OF A
CAUSEWAY, OR DAM, THE RETAINING WALL BEING MORE THAN
20 METERS HIGH AND 4
KILOMETERS LONG.
THIS DAM,WITH ITS WIDTH ON TOP
OF 24METERS, THUS YIELDED A
PROMENADE.
THE ARTIFICIAL LAKE CREATED
BEHIND THE DAM HAS MODIFIED
THE CLIMATE OF THE CITY.