History of Architecture (AP313) | Essay | 2013Influence of le Corbusier on architecture in India

Essay for History of Architecture (AP131)

Ishant Anand

Roll Number: 01016901611Sushant School of Art and Architecture

Introduction In the range of his work and in his ability to enrage the establishment and surprise his followers, he was matched in the field of modern architecture perhaps only by Frank Lloyd Wright. He adopted the pseudonym Le Corbusier for his architectural work c. 1920 and for his paintings c. 1930. His visionary books, startling white houses and terrifying urban plans set him at the head of the Modern Movement in the 1920s, while in the 1930s he became more of a complex and skeptical explorer of cultural and architectural possibilities.In 1922, he designed the plan of a contemporary city, a city of 3 million people, with a central cruciform skyscraper, surrounding buildings and vast green spaces, providing an interesting zoning by activities. In the Villa Savoye, 1929, sums up his 5 points for a new architecture: supports on piles at a regular distance, flat roofs that can be used as a garden, continuous windows along the facade that provide lighting inside, free structure of the facade, open floor eliminating support walls. In the housing unit in 1945, achieved his dream was materialized. Build a collective housing as a compact building. It is a large rectangular prism, which separates from the ground thanks to huge pillars of reinforced concrete, the architect favorite material from these moments, leaving the exposed concrete and timber formwork showing. Notre-Dame-du-Haut at Ronchamp, built between 1950 and 1955. It is an irregular floor building, which stands on a hill. Presents three protrusions at the corners, as if it were towers. The roof resembles the keel of a boat, including a canvas lifted. The color white dominates the set, illuminating the interior through attractive colored glass windows. The synthesis of his career has been in the city of Chandigarh, the capital of the Indian state of Punjab. This is a new town, which highlights the parliament, a spectacular building which is preceded by a concrete porch that is finished with a structure in the form of a truncated cone, thus replacing the traditional dome of classical architecture.Le Corbusier would also have a far ranging influence on architecture around the world through is studio in Paris. He was invited to many countries to participate in such projects as the Ministry of Education in Rio de Janeiro, where his brises-soliel were introduced to help combat the intense sun of the tropics. He would have a profound impact on Oscar Niemeyer and other architects he came in contact with.With Modern Architecture once again at the forefront of design, there has been renewed interest in Le Corbusier. Of course, many of us never dismissed him, as others did during the brief Post-Modern era, realizing that his work represented a benchmark in 20th century architecture and would stand the test of time. What is fascinating in leafing through the pages of these volumes is the great concern Le Corbusier had for the environment and the urban context. While his early visions may have been driven too much by the rise of modern technology, as expressed in his "machines for living," he would later advocate the use of Beton Brut, or bare concrete, to give his monumental buildings of the 50's and 60's a more human texture. But, even in his earliest designs, Le Corbusier saw the need for open plans as well as open facades that allowed light and air to circulate through the building. He also foresaw the need for standardized housing types to meet the immediate need for affordable living in the devastating aftermath of WWI. His Citrohan House was designed to be mass produced and his immeubles villas, residential blocks, were designed as pre-fabricated living modules with airy courtyards and facades that had ample garden terraces. He also advocated roof gardens, none more active than that of the Unite de Habitation in Marseilles, which are now being mandated in many European cities. His plan and building designs for the provincial capital of Chandigarh, in India, worked with the natural environment in a way that is still valued by its residents 35 years later. He also drew from traditional Indian typology and showed a deep understanding of the solar patterns of the region, creating a city that was thoroughly modern but also specific to its part of the world, greatly influencing contemporary Indian architects like Balkrishna Doshi.

Le Corbusier (1887-1965) revolutionised the ways in which we inhabit spaces, reinventing the idea of the house, designing radical furniture, vast urban planning schemes and the design of whole cities. His use of open-plan spaces, terrace gardens, horizontal windows and light-filled interiors created iconic and immediately recognisable buildings, among them the Villa Savoye outside Paris, Chapelle Notre-Dame du Haut in Eastern France, LUnite dHabitation in Marseille and the Capitol Complex in Chandigarh, India. Richard Pares obvious delight in the detail and poetics of Le Corbusiers architecture creates new and vital views of buildings which are so well known that they could easily lead to clichd photography. Le Corbusier: The Art of Architecture, moves from its current home in Paris to the crypt of Liverpool's Metropolitan cathedral in October. And this month an enormous new book, which collects together his diverse achievements for the first time. You couldn't make a book like this about just any architect. Leafing, or rather hefting, through the slab-like tome, it's astounding to see just how much Le Corbusier accomplished. He executed more than 300 designs on every scale, from small huts to entire cities (though only 78 of those designs were ultimately built). He also wrote 34 books, gave countless speeches, lectures and interviews, drew, painted and sculpted, designed furniture, ran businesses, travelled the world, had love affairs, co-edited a magazine, invented his own system of proportions and wrote to his mother at least once a week.

What was the main ideas he was influenced on? His artistic talent was recognized early by his teachers, who encouraged him to take advantage of it and consider more ambitious goals than a employment in the industry of watches. Indian colorsColors found in the landscape, paintings and clothing of India inspired the architect in the designs for the Chandigarh building. He had also used these bright colors in the walls of Chandigarh and Ahmedabad buildings. Sourcehttp://3.bp.blogspot.com/nzHplNx7nGs/T8KPSLammEI/AAAAAAAAAUY/iKv13tBU5Z0/s1600/1421511139_e6ca51199d.jpgLandscapingThe use of water in the exteriors and interiors of Mughal buildings enabled evaporative cooling, which is an effective environmental strategy in the hot dry tropics. His assembly and high court sit on large water bodies.

Water body in Shalimar garden Source : http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/Shalamar_Garden_July_14_2005-South_wall_pavilion_with_fountains.jpgThe traditional Indian buildings had gardens and verandahs with profuse greenery, which reduced heat in the environment by the process of photosynthesis. The architect employed this idea in his buildings, gardens and even in sun shades of high court of Chandigarh and mill owners association building, Ahmedabad. Sun shade at high court, Chandigarh Source : http://architectureoftravel.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/20120907-215941.jpg?w=800Lutyens architecture Le Corbusier had studied British architect Edwin lutyens buildings in new Delhi, in terms of how the imported English renaissance was indianized by lutyen with the traditional climate modifying elements such as chajja or extended canopies, verandahs and water bodies. Urban architecture of old towns He visited the old cities of Ahmadabad and looked at the buildings in terms of indoor and outdoor environment. He studied the havelis or country houses of the pol or neighborhood with narrow winding streets, building shading building, shaded courtyards, and various elements of environmental control.

Haveli at AhmedabadSource: http://ahmedabad.burrp.com/images/e/u/0/photo_mangaldas-ni-haveli-the-house-of-mg_lal-darwaja_ahmedabad@u0ikqh0g_bk5_2_300.jpgNehru Friendship and strong support of the prime minister of Nehru specially helped the realization of Corbusiers dreams and ideas of architecture for India. Nehru wanted Chandigarh, the capital of Punjab to be modern, and symbolize the belief in free, democratic and scientific of the newly Independent country. Equipped with modern architecture vocabulary, the architect fulfilled this desire by successfully accommodating program, climate and society.

Site and natureRespect for the site is visible in all of le Corbusiers works. According to him, site was the source of nourishment for the soul. In India, the analysis of sun and wind was the first step in his designs. He made numerous visits to the Chandigarh site. The vast fields dotted with a few mango trees and the immense presence of the Himalayas in the distance had a great influence on le Corbusiers thinking. Inspired by the nature of the site and beyond, he decided that the capitol complex would be his offerings to the Himalayas. Site Sketch, Chandigarh by Le Corbusier [4]Source- http://www.designboom.com/weblog/images/images_2/richelle/58savechandigarh/chandi22.jpgRural architecture The architect looked and saw, sensed and felt the rural environment with keen interest. He studied the traditional solutions to problems of the intense sun visible in the compact site planning, shaded courtyard, thick walls, small openings, roof overhangs in the huts of Gujarat and Punjab villages. Thermal mass of thick walls and deep recessed shaded openings were traditional strategies explored, in his own special architectural language, by the architect throughout his tropical buildings.Courtyards, verandahs, shading and ventilation devicesShading devices such as chajjas, jail, jharokah and verandahs provided the Corbusier wit the answers to the environmental problems. He realized that the rooms should not be flooded with direct daylight because of the heat, and the incoming sunlight needs to be controlled and made softer. He employed the idea of traditional jalis or perforated shading screens in the buildings at Chandigarh, which had openness but cool daylight. Jail also provided natural ventilation to the interior. The shading devices called brisesoleil at the secretariat and assembly echo the provision of soft light and cool air of jail.Sarabhai houseSource- http://www.viewpictures.co.uk/ImageThumbs/LE-SARO-0001/3/LE-SARO-0001_SARABHAI_HOUSE_OVERAL_VIEW_FROM_GARDEN.jpg

Jali, Mughal BuildingsSource- http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RhQuqsKGD0s/TQ3TuA09HBI/AAAAAAAABAE/xOaFfemTM-s/s1600/DSC02944.JPGTemplesThe maestro while visiting the Buddhist temples and universities captured the spirit of institution. The thick walls, the quiet solemn quality of the interiors inspired him to think of a place for congregation, which would encourage high thinking. Corbusier admired the sculptured walls of Hindu temples, and he believed that the dark cool mystic environment of the temples had clear intention and meaning.Mughal architectureThe environment strategies of Mughal buildings utilized most by le Corbusier are layering of walls, spaces and roofs, large columned halls or forums, elements of shading and natural ventilation. Corbusier stated comfort is in the shades, it is in the coolness of currents of air, and in the shaded naves of Mughal palaces. He tried to reinterpret the essence of tradition by producing similar shaded columned halls or forums in millowners association building at Ahmedabad and in assembly building at Chandigarh. Resonance of the layering of spaces of cool interiors in panchmahal, fatehpur sikri is found in corbs designs. Similar to the panchmahals chatri roof, the top roof in the high court at Chandigarh reflects most of the heat and the air flowing in between the two roofs drives the incoming heat away. His solutions always included shading and natural ventilation, which were common features of Mughal architecture.

Columned halls, Mughal buildingsSource- http://www.yurtopic.com/travel/destinations/images/india-attractions/Columned-hall-of-Amber-fort2.jpgInfluence of local architectsLe Corbusier studied the buildings of local architects in terms of aesthetic as well as climatic aspects. He was respectful of the suggestions of local architects who worked with him in India, and had listened to the ideas of young architects b.v. doshi and a. raje regarding the utilization of prevailing breeze in Ahmedabad buildings.The detailed landscaping planning of the city of Chandigarh was done with the help of the Indian landscape architect m.s. randhawa. The architects ideas of mall hills of colored flowers, organic gardens of seasonal bloom and shading trees were successfully executed with radhawas input. The streets were to be lined with trees appropriately planted to bar the western sunlight hitting the drivers eyes while returning home after work.

Miniature paintingsMiniature paintings of the subcontinent intrigued le Corbusier. He studied the movements of dancing krishna showing many sides/planes and movements in a single two dimensional painting and he tried to utilize this theme of interpretation of planes and the movement of spaces in his architecture. Again, the semi open environment of the corbusian design in the subcontinent was a re-creation of spaces depicted in the miniature paintings.Miniature Painting by le CorbusierSource- http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/128/1083/lecorbusier6_1.jpgHow did he use these ideas and developed? Le Corbusier said: I am only known as an architect, people will not recognize me as a painter, and yet it is by way of painting that I came to architecture [1]He figured out his ideas by painting and sculpture. Jean-Louis Cohen, one of the best knowers of him, said: "Le Corbusier, visited his studio every morning to work on his canvases, before before heading to his studio every afternoon to study how to apply them in the architectural compositions, on architectural manner.Chandigarh, the city planned The city has projects designed by Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret, Jane Drew and Maxwell Fry. It was the Indian landscape That inspired the construction of the final built utopian city Chandigarh, the capital of Punjab.The design was based on the conceptualization of La Ville Radieuse (The Radiant City), which in turn was an update of the ideas for the Ville Contemporaine. The central idea of Le Corbusier was to establish in the heart of the city a number of skyscrapers, not next to each other, but all of them separated by spacious gardens and numerous spaces, roads and parking spaces for motorists. The shape of the city plan was modified from one with a curving road network to rectangular shape with a grid iron pattern for the fast traffic roads, reducing besides its area for reason of economy.The city plan was conceived as post war 'Garden City', where in upright and high rise buildings were ruled out, keeping in view the socio-economic conditions and living habits of the people. The skyscrapers of the same size and the same height, would be bathed in the sun and the air everywhere. The green areas at the foot of the same would be gardens and playgrounds. In the distance we extend the garden cities, on the outskirts of the business district, in which reside the inhabitants of the city. Distribution of the city by bounded areas (residential and industrial area, leisure area, work area, etc. ..) And organize pedestrian circulation and vehicles in seven different types of roads for circulation speeds. Not only Art Noveau or Arts and Crafts movement, analysis and observation on his own, because, It would seem that, also his personal collection of marine crustaceans, whose mysterious cavities and their shapes inspired the design of his ideas. Developed in its latest buildings, as a paraleloide hyperbolic roof of the House of Assembly in Chandigarh or the roof of the Chapel of Notre Dame du Haut, Ronchamp. What were the main ideas from Le Corbusier? "Five Points Toward a New Architecture": 1. The supports (pilotis) are precisely calculated, spaced regularly, and used to elevate the first floor off the damp ground.2. The flat roof or roof garden is used for demsetic purposes such as gardening, play and relaxtion-thereby recovering all the build-upon ground for outdoor activities. 3. The interior walls, independent of the support system, can be arranged in a free plan.4.The horizontal windows made possible by the support system, assure even illumination from wall to wall and admit eight times as much light as vertically placed window of equal area. 5.The facade, also independent of the structural supports, can be freely designed. Bibliography [1] http://blog.ramzinaja.com/2010/07/research-paper-on-le-corbusiers.html[2]gans, d.(1987). The le Corbusier guide . in d. gans, the le Corbusier guide. New york: priceton architectural press.[3] Hoffman, anna.(2009,08 10). Le Corbusier-mordenist-visiona. Retrieved 02 02,2014 from http://www.apartmenttherapy.com: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com /le corbusier-modernist-visiona-97845[4] Chandigarhs Le Corbusier: The Struggle for Modernity in Postcolonial India, by Vikramaditya Prakash. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2002, 179 pages

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