Le corbusier

[Slick Vik]

Maybe I'll get some responses here. What are everyone's thoughts on one of the most influential architects of the 20th century, particularly regarding modernism?

[arche_757]

I'm not a big fan of his.  I recognize his brilliance, I just do not prefer him over the other 3 or so "masters" of modern architecture: Mies Van der Rohe, Eero Saarinen and Louis Kahn.

 

I think you can actually group him earlier than the later two, solely with Mies and Frank Lloyd Wright; but of those three there is no greater architect (in respect to American architecture) than Frank Lloyd Wright.

 

I actually kind of like the Unite d'habitation in Marseille.  I'll also give him his due with the UN Secretariat Building in New York City (though Oscar Niemeyer had a hand in it - and I think his hand weighs heavier in the completed form - as one need only take a gander at Brasilia to see).  Of course Villa Savoye is probably his best work - architecturally speaking it was revolutionary - and it is a wonderful built metaphor (which I think it can be).

[Slick Vik]

I'm not a big fan of his. I recognize his brilliance, I just do not prefer him over the other 3 or so "masters" of modern architecture: Mies Van der Rohe, Eero Saarinen and Louis Kahn.

I think you can actually group him earlier than the later two, solely with Mies and Frank Lloyd Wright; but of those three there is no greater architect (in respect to American architecture) than Frank Lloyd Wright.

I actually kind of like the Unite d'habitation in Marseille. I'll also give him his due with the UN Secretariat Building in New York City (though Oscar Niemeyer had a hand in it - and I think his hand weighs heavier in the completed form - as one need only take a gander at Brasilia to see). Of course Villa Savoye is probably his best work - architecturally speaking it was revolutionary - and it is a wonderful built metaphor (which I think it can be).

I think the city of Chandigarh is his greatest work but I have family there so I may be biased. But his ideas regarding housing projects backfired majorly when the interior green space actually became havens for gangs.

[arche_757]

Yet his ideas were worthwhile to at least investigate.  Compared to prior attempts (at least in Europe) of mass housing/high-density, his planned garden city(s) were interesting and forward thinking.  The idea that the open space became a haven for gangs is more socioeconomic than architecturally a failure... at least I would tend to think?  Unite d'habitation (and his planned city for 3 million) were worthy explorations.  Perhaps if Unite d'habitation had been located in a more well healed area of Marseille it would have weathered the years better?  Or, like many architectural works it goes through phases: good-not as good-worse-bad-really bad-better-much better ...similar to gentrification of neighborhoods.

 

Chandigarh is interesting - that's for sure - I just prefer Wright, and Saarinen over Mies and Courbu.  I should add: any time any architect gets a chance to design a city, or large campus environment the level of control over all the facets and other aspects of what a project and its neighbors may be allows an architect the chance for great design.

[Slick Vik]

Yet his ideas were worthwhile to at least investigate. Compared to prior attempts (at least in Europe) of mass housing/high-density, his planned garden city(s) were interesting and forward thinking. The idea that the open space became a haven for gangs is more socioeconomic than architecturally a failure... at least I would tend to think?

Chandigarh is interesting - that's for sure - I just prefer Wright, and Saarinen over Mies and Courbu. I should add: any time any architect gets a chance to design a city, or large campus environment the level of control over all the facets and other aspects of what a project and its neighbors may be allows an architect the chance for great design.

What's interesting is that he only got the chance to design Chandigarh because Nowicki died in a plane crash and thus Mayer dropped out. There are a lot of soviet style apartment buildings in Chandigarh but in comparison to the rest of India it's much cleaner and organized.

My favorite contemporary architect is frank Gehry.

Regarding gangs it's probably something corbusier didn't plan for. His ideas were thoughtful in nature, he wanted the poor to have access to housing.

His ideas of what he would do to Paris were frightening as well. But he was about as modernist as an architect could be and everything he did was well thought out and meticulously detailed.