 LE CORBUSIER

• October 6, 1887 -August 27, 1965

• Nationality Swiss / French (from
1930).
• He was also a great designer,
urbanist and writer.
• He was awarded AIA gold medal
and Frank P Brown Medal in 1961.
• pioneer in modern architecture

• Used golden ratio in his modular

system for the scale of architectural
proportions .

• Modular system also based on the

human measurements, Fibonacci
numbers , and the double unit.
 NOTRE DAME DU HANT

• LOCATION: Ron champ

• MATERIALS: concrete
• BUILDING USE: Chapel
• COMPLETED IN YEAR: 1954
• Important example of 20th century
religious architecture.
• Site is a hill high near Belfort in
Eastern France

• In 1950, Le Corbusier was commissioned to

design a new Catholic church to replace the
previous church that had been destroyed during
World War II.

•Build as a shrine for roman catholic church.

•Mainly made of concrete and stone
•  Ron champ is more of an irregular sculptural form where the walls, the roof, and
the floor slope. 
• Stylistically and formally it is fairly complex; however, programmatically it is
relatively simple: two entrances, an altar, and three chapels.
• The walls of Ronchamp give the building its sculptural character.
• The thick (4’-12’ thick), gentle curving walls act as a practical method of
supporting the concrete and masonry construction, as well as the massive
curvilinear roof. 

•  However, the walls do not solely act as

structural and sculptural elements; they
also act as acoustic amplifiers,
especially in the case of the eastern
exterior wall that reflects the sound out
over the field from the outdoor altar.
•  The most striking part of Ronchamp is the curved roof that peels up towards the
heavens. 
• The curving roof appears to float above the building as it is supported by embedded
columns in the walls, which creates a 10 cm gap between the roof and the walls,
which allow for a sliver of clerestory light. 
• The roof is actually the only glimpse of mechanized influence in the overall design
of Ronchamp; the roof’s curvature mimics the curves of an airplane wing. 
• It’s aerodynamic in design and in all of its massive and heavy qualities it still
appears weightless.
•  One of the most interesting aspects of the design is the sporadic window placement
on the walls
• Corbusier implemented small puncturing apertures on the façade that amplified the
light within the chapel by tapering the window well in the wall cavity. 
• Each wall becomes illuminated by these differing window frames, which in
conjunction with the stark white washed walls gives the walls luminous qualities
punctuated by a more intense direct light.
• On the wall behind the altar in the chapel, the lighting effects create a speckled
pattern, almost like a starry night, of sparse openings that are complimented by a
larger opening above the cross that emits a flood of light, creating a powerful
religious image as well as a transformative experience..
 VILLA SAVOYE

• LOCATION: Poisy, France

• YEAR:1928-1931
• Modern as well as international style of
architecture.
• It was designed addressing his “five points”,
the basic tenets in his new architectural
aesthetics.
 Support of ground-level pilotis, elevating
the building from the earth and allowed an
extended continuity of the garden beneath.
 Functional roof, serves both as garden and
terrace.
 Free floor plan, relieved of load – bearing
walls.
 Long horizontal windows providing
illumination and ventilation.
 Freely designed facade serving only as the
skin of the wall and windows.
• Designed in response to view &
orientation of sun .
• Ground floor-main entrance hall, ramp,
stair, garage, chauffeur and maids
rooms.
• 1st floor -3 bedroom, kitchen, salon &
external terraces
• The plan set out using the principle
ratios of golden section. In this case a
square divided into 16 equal parts.
• The lower level serves as the maintenance and service programs of the house. 
• One of most interesting aspects of the house is the curved glass façade on the lower
level that is formed to match the turning radius of automobiles of 1929 so that when the
owner drives underneath the larger volume they can pull into the garage with the ease of
a slight turn.
• The living quarters, or the upper volume, are fitted with ribbon windows that blend
seamlessly into the stark, white façade, which void the facades of any hierarchy. 
• the living spaces are situated around a communal, outdoor terraced that is separated
from the living area by a sliding glass wall.