Thursday, April 8, 2010

Understanding of Villa Savoye

The Villa Savoye is considered by many to be the seminal work of the Swiss architect Le Corbusier. Situated at Poissy, outside of Paris, it is an iconic architectural example of early modernism, the so-called International Style. Construction was completed circa 1929 but fell into disrepair during World War II. It has since been fully restored and is open for viewing.

The house addressed "The Five Points", his basic tenets of a new aesthetic of architecture:

  1. The pilotis, or ground-level supporting columns, elevating the building.
  2. A flat roof terrace reclaims the area of the building site for domestic purposes, including a garden area.
  3. The free plan, made possible by the elimination of load-bearing walls.
  4. Horizontal windows provide even illumination and ventilation.
  5. The freely-designed facade, unconstrained by load-bearing considerations, consists of a thin skin of wall and windows.

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