Studio Render Inc.Architecture, Politics and Philosophy

Dec 3rd Villa Savoye

Villa Savoye, dubbed as Le Corbusier’s masterpiece was constructed in 1929 in Poissy, France. This structure sits on an open site and gives the feeling that the building is floating. This open site has been said to be the reason for its stature. The site gave Corbusier a chance to apply his 5 points of architecture without the constraints of an urban site. The main section of this residence is a box that sits atop slender pilotis or stilts that are offset from the edge of the structure above. The building which was designed out of concrete and plaster unit masonry shows the purist Modern design of Corbusier. This modern structure designed to be “machine a habiter”, a machine for living, uses a flat roof and strip “ribbon” windows to give this freestanding building a distinct modern look. In addition, the design is simplified with the pure white color and lack of ornamentation as well as the curvilinear forms on both the roof and lower level to further support the machine imagery.

The modern design continues into the interior of Villa Savoye. Corbusier uses non-traditional conveying systems, an open plan, an integral ground floor garage, built-in furniture and a roof garden to give this machine a habitable and efficient feel. The interior flows well from one space to another with the use of ramps and spiral staircases, while creating a modular feel and keeping movement from one space to overlapping spaces available. The use of the “ribbon” windows provides this interior with ample sunlight and giving the framed look to the exterior.

The theory behind this structure is based on a Modernist view and directly affected by World War II. The use of industrial materials associates this residence with the Modern Movement. These facts teamed with Corbusier’s preference to a square plan and pure, natural form come together to express his theory in Villa Savoye.

Posted in Historical and tagged architecture, Discussion, history, review, villa savoye by Studio Render with 3 comments.